


A Breathtakingly Wild Adventure

by OrionAWD



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Gen, I'll Try Not To Though, Maybe fluff, No Porn, Not Beta Read, Possibly A Lot Of Enemy Carnage, Possibly Animal Death, Seriously I Mean It, Silent Link Is Silent, Swears A Lot When He's Thinking Though, Tried To Be True To Canon, We Die Like Men, a little fluff, maybe not though, plot without porn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-15 04:00:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 40,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16055123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrionAWD/pseuds/OrionAWD
Summary: Basically, a novelized retelling of the game. Rated Teen for now, may change if I decide to get graphic with the Bokoblin slaughter.Yes, it's been done before. But this is my story.Will probably update sporadically, with most updates coming on Sundays-Mondays. May update several times in a day. Depends on how much time I have.





	1. Link's Awakening

Darkness.

Soothing warmth. Near silence, but for the beating of a heart.

Awareness comes so slowly. Surrounded by warm liquid, floating in darkness, only his heartbeat to comfort him. Like being back in the womb.

He is not alone. Something whispering to him. Unintelligible sounds. He can almost make them out...

**"...open your eyes..."**

He doesn't want to.

_No... let me sleep. Let me stay here. Forever._

He fights the sounds. He fights to remain at peace. But he finds himself stirring anyway. Bright light piercing him, painful to eyes that have never seen light. Or have they? He cannot remember. The light grows brighter, more painful, overwhelming the darkness with a sudden burst of white.

**"Open your eyes..."**

The white fades away to grey, then patches of black, then bright blurs of blue. The whispers are becoming louder, more insistent.

**"Open your eyes."**

The shapeless masses of color in his vision resolve into a strange apparatus, weathered bronze and gold, with glowing blue lights, and what might be the glyphs of small constellations arrayed in a circle above him.

**"Wake up, Link."**

A faint blue glow surrounds him, and he can feel his body growing colder, along with the sensation of liquid draining from around him. His eyes flutter.

_Link? Who is... Wait. I... I am... Link._

The last of the fluid drained away, leaving him damp and chilled. He lay there for a moment yet, unsure if he remembered how to rise. His eyes shifted as they adjusted, he blinked against the lights, and a shiver ran down his arms. Slowly, he pushed himself up to a seated position in the device and looked around himself. It was clearly meant to hold a prone figure, a humanoid shaped platform with a headrest of some kind of softer material lay just above the level of the strange fluid, which was still lapping gently. Above him, rose an arched canopy. It seemed the apparatus was meant to protectively enclose whomever lay here. In the glow of the liquid, or maybe lights beneath it, a gentle steamy mist rippled and circulated. Further away, dust motes danced in the faint light, sparkling with every shimmer they caught.

He turned, climbing out of the device. Away from the bright lights within, he can see the room is quite dark. The only light comes from the machine itself, and more of the strange stellar glyphs on the walls, these glowing in orange. He squinted against the light, and the star signs resolve into vaguely familiar shapes, though he cannot recall that he has ever seen them before. The fog fills the room, he realized, blurring anything more than a few feet away. He must have been laying asleep for some time after it opened. But... what was he doing in it to begin with? Slowly, he stepped away from the pod on unsteady feet, dripping fluid as he scanned his surroundings. It's cold, doubly so for the damp, but also because he realizes he is wearing nothing but a pair of close fitted shorts. He shivered, looking harder for some way out of the chamber.

The further away from the machine he steps, the darker it gets, until he spots another blue glow in the distance. Squinting, he finds it to be another glyph, but this one is different, with curved lines rather than straight. It reminds him of a spiral shell instead of a star sign. Focusing on it, he closes the distance, his steps slow at first, then faster as he grows more confident with being able to move his body. It's odd, but for some reason he keeps waiting to feel pain, a twinge of wounds, yet he doesn't. His body bears their scars, pale and faded, but no other signs of trauma. But... how did he become so badly injured? How had he survived? Why was he placed in the machine, and by whom?

His thoughts are distracted by the pedestal, for that is what it is, that bears the spiral glyph. Curious, he approaches it, only to have it glow brighter, beckoning him to touch its smooth surface. When he does, it immediately responds, with a whir of mechanical hums, and suddenly a rectangular plate rises from its middle. It glows with orange runes, but for a blue eye in the middle. The voice that woke him whispers again. Though he has no reason to believe it, or trust it, he feels comforted by its sound. He wondered who it was, if they knew more about how he came to be here?

**"That is a Sheikah Slate. Take it. It will help guide you after your long slumber."**

So he had been sleeping for a long time. No wonder he felt as weak as a newborn, and just as helpless. Hesitantly, he reached out, taking hold of the slate with his left hand. He held it up, looking into the dark surface on the reverse of the side with the glowing eye. Suddenly, it lit up with a blue glow, and the eye symbol, _the Sheikah symbol_ his own mind whispered, shone brightly from the screen. There was a familiarity to it, one he couldn't quite place. The pedestal made its whirring sound again, resetting to its previous shape, and from just beyond it came a louder rumble, as a door opened. Apparently there was a way out of here after all.

Holding the slate in his hand, he entered the next room. It was just as dark as the previous room, if not darker, the only light coming from six faintly glowing lamps along the far walls. He reached out hid free hand to follow the wall, only to stumble over a large crate, landing on a pile of rotted barrels. Angrily he grabbed one of them that survived his fall and threw it at the wall, the barrel exploding into dust and splinters. Coughing, and embarrassed by his outburst, he once again set out, more slowly this time keeping his hand on the wall, and leading with his feet. Despite his caution, still managed to land a ferocious kick on a chest laying in the dark. Hopping and holding his foot for the pain in his toes, he quickly realized the chest was one of two, and they were not half as damaged as the barrels. He set the slate down, and eagerly opened the chests, wondering what treasures they might hold.

To his disappointment, they didn't hold anything more that someones old, ragged castoffs, a threadbare shirt and frayed pants, a shabby pair of leather shoes, a well-worn baldric for his shoulder, and a pair of cracked leather belts, one with some useful, though empty, pouches and purses, the other with a holster that perfectly fit the slate. the clothes and shoes weren't much to look at, but they were dry and fit him well, or mostly well, and once he was dressed, he felt much warmer than he had before. He slowly followed a ramp leading down, still half expecting to trip over more barrels or crates, until he spied the familiar shape of a pedestal in the far corner, the spiral glyph on its surface lighting up as he approached, only this time it was glowing orange rather than blue. As he stood before it, the voice spoke up again.

**"Hold the Sheikah Slate up to the pedestal. That will show you the way."**

Well, it had worked previously. He saw no reason not to do so again. There was a bright flash and the pedestal's glyph turned blue as a mechanical voice chirped happily.

Authenticating... Sheikah Slate confirmed.

A louder rumble than before greeted this statement, and a large door opened. He shielded his eyes with an arm, for the door opening had suddenly flooded the room with bright sunlight. Squinting as his eyes took their time adjusting, he stepped into the light, to see a weathered set of stairs, years of dirt and dust collected in their corners. He turned, scanning the room and saw it was similarly timeworn. Piles of sand obscuring some of the runes, and the collapsed shape of barrels and crates, and even what might have once been other chests, long since fallen to decay. A tickle at his neck made him turn once again to the opening. A fitful breeze blew down the steps, blowing around the floating dust, and lifting a few strands of his hair to tickle again at his neck and face. He breathed in deeply. The tired, musty smell of long forgotten chambers was cast aside, as the fresh smell of clean, slightly damp earth and the bright smell of pine came to him. He looked up and smiled for the first time, until the voice came again.

**"Link... You are the light - our light - that must shine upon Hyrule once again. Now, go..."**

Hyrule. He was in Hyrule. But... what did the voice mean about shining again? He shook his head. Mysteries could wait, right now, he needed to make his way out of here and see the land of Hyrule.

The first set of stairs was easy, but as he approached the second set he could see more damage. The chambers had been well protected, but this tunnel leading out had suffered. A shallow pool of water splashed his pants and soaked his shoes. He paused for a moment to test the water, spitting it out quickly. It was stagnant and bitter, and definitely not safe to drink. Looking ahead, he saw that part of the second set of stairs had been crushed by a large boulder that blocked the tunnel. There would be no moving it for sure, but, the surface appeared rough, and there seemed to be some cracks that might serve as handholds here and there. Experimentally, he jumped up, grabbing the weathered side of the rock. His grip held. Slowly, he began climbing, hand over hand, foot over foot.

Once he reached the top, he took a moment to catch his breath. He would definitely need to work on his stamina if he intended to do any running or climbing regularly. Above him he could see the sky, blue and clear, with just a few wispy clouds dancing high above. In the distance, there was a dark smoking mountain, glowing red and orange as it belched black clouds into the sky. Eager to see more, he rushed to the top of the stairs and out to the edge of the cliff the chamber opened out onto. From here, he felt like he could see the whole world! Trees and plains, the smoking mountain, and more mountains beyond that. A set of twin peaks that looked like they were fighting each other for the right to be tallest, the sun rising up just over them. Flocks of birds sailing on the winds, and a single owl hooting from a nearby tree. It was an amazing view. Enough to take your breath away.


	2. Hesitant Explorations

For a while he stood in awe, taking in the view with childlike wonder. There was so much to see in the world. Why on earth had he been locked away in that apparatus? What had happened? The buzzing of insects and chirping of birds brought him back to himself. There was wildlife everywhere. Where were the people? As if to answer his question, a grunting cough came from his right. He turned to see the source, and was immediately distracted by the sight of an ancient, dilapidated building in the distance. It almost looked like it might be a temple, but of course, how could he know that? As in in response, his mind supplied a name, _the Temple of Time_ , and he knew he had been right, the familiarity of the ancient building striking a deep chord in his memory, what remained of it.

The grunt came again, and he looked down to see an old bearded man leaning on a short staff with a lantern attached to it. He was dressed in dark burgundy colored clothes, that might have once been fairly fancy, perhaps even the outfit of a noble, but much wear and rough cleaning had faded them, the fine stitchwork raveled and knotted. The man grunted once more, before turning and retreating to an overhanging shelter, a campfire burning beneath it. The command was obvious, but Link did not immediately follow it. He instead took his time to investigate the immediate area around him, gathering a collection of small branches that might be used as weapon or tinder, and an armload of mushrooms. He suspected they could be eaten raw if needed, at least he felt that they would be safe, but he wondered if cooking them might be better. It might make them taste better at least. The cliffsides around him looked easily scalable, but since he was not yet sure what he might come across he wondered if it might be better to stick to the path for now. As he was trying to decide on the best course of action, the voice came to him again.

**"Link... Link."**

He paused. Up until now the voice had given him good advice. He felt his ears twitch as he strained to hear the voice, even though he was becoming more and more certain it was all in his head.

**"Head for the point marked on the map in your Sheikah Slate."**

Map? He pulled the slate from its holster on his hip and held it up. There were some buttons he hadn't noticed on the side. He hesitated for a moment, then pushed one. The slate's surface lit up with the blue glow again. This time, there was a faint grid pattern marked on it, along with squiggly lines that might have been faded outlines of territories. But... there wasn't much else. There was a glowing gold dot that flashed as he looked at the map. He presumed this was where he was supposed to go. There was also a gold arrow that seemed to represent his current direction and location. And there was a blue symbol that seemed to represent the chamber he had awakened in, labeled Shrine of Resurrection. The words caused a chill to run down his spine. What did that mean? The injuries he had suffered... did he... had he died?

No. He wasn't going to think about that. He was alive. The past he couldn't remember didn't matter right now. What mattered was what was happening right now. And right now, he was going to follow the only other living person he had seen so far. Maybe then, he would have some answers. He stopped just before the overhang to climb a tree and gather apples. In the distance, he spotted another fire, and several small demon-like creatures, _bokoblins_ if his memory could be trusted, around it. He had a pretty good idea that he wasn't ready to face them just yet, so he returned to the ground and approached the man sitting next to the fire.

The man seemed to ignore him at first, poking at the fire with his staff. There was another apple sitting on the far side of the fire, the darkened skin and smoky smell letting him know it had been baked in the fire. His stomach let loose a growl, but it seemed rude to just grab the apple. Instead, he decided to approach the man. Although Link didn't speak, the man greeted him with a good-natured laugh. "Oho ho! Well met, stranger! It's rather unusual to see another soul in these parts."

Well, that answered that question. He was unlikely to meet any other people here. He gestured at the man, his words few and far between, hoping the older one would understand the signs he used for most of his speech. _Who are you?_

"Me? I'll spare you my life story. I'm just an old fool who has lived here, alone, for quite some time now." And old fool? Link highly doubted that. The man seemed no more a fool than himself, and he realized there was probably quite a bit more to this "old fool" than there seemed. He quickly hid the thought though, as the man asked him a question, "What brings a bright-eyed young man like you to a place like this?"

This would be a harder question to answer. And if this man indeed was more than he seemed, he didn't want to give away too much. Better to get more information. He gestured again, _Where are we?_

The man gave him an appraising look, but Link couldn't help but notice the twinkle of amusement in his eyes. "Answering a question with a question. That is fair enough. As I cannot imagine our meeting to be a simple coincidence... I shall tell you. This is the Great Plateau. According to legend, this is the birthplace of the entire kingdom of Hyrule." He rose to his feet, turned and pointed to the temple that had previously caught Link's gaze. "That temple there... Long ago, it was the site of many sacred ceremonies. Ever since the decline of the kingdom 100 years ago, it has sat, abandoned, in a state of decay."

Link paled as he caught the implication. One hundred years. If he truly remembered that temple... it would have been from one hundred years ago, an utter impossibility. The old man turned to face him, and Link found himself wary of the knowing glint in the man's eyes. "Yet another forgotten entity. A mere ghost of its former self..." He knew. He knew where Link had come from, or rather, what he had come out of. Which meant... did it mean that he knew what had happened to him? "I shall be here for some time. Please let me know if I may be of service." Despite the welcoming tone of the words, the man seemed unwilling to speak more, and he returned to his seat beside the fire.

Link felt the dismissal, and more than a bit angry for the abruptness of it. He looked away, spying a stick leaning against the wall. Curiosity got the better of him, and he picked it up, only to discover it was a torch. "Well now, just help yourself to that torch there. And how, may I ask, are you planning to use it?" Busted, of course. The old man was clearly toying with him. Defiantly, he narrowed his eyes and responded with more than a touch of sarcasm in his voice and motions, _It's a secret..._

"I see. Well then, do as you please. There are plenty of monsters ahead of here, though. Remember that you can use that as a weapon, if need be. However, do not just swing it around without purpose. You must face your opponents and lock your sights on them!" Link rolled his eyes. Of course. He was toying with him still. But at least, he gave him some advice. Monsters ahead on the path, and the necessity to keep an eye on them as he fought, if fighting was needed. He hoped to avoid conflict while he was still learning, and remembering, and would need to be careful. He returned to the path, his eyes darting between the road ahead and the fire under the shelter. His growling stomach made him eye the baked apple, just sitting there. Surely, the old man wouldn't miss it?

He was just reaching for it when the man gave an offended shout. "I BEG YOUR PARDON! I do believe that is my baked apple! You can't just go about taking whatever you please!" Link flinched visibly, and retreated away from the apple. "Oho ho! Forgive me - I could not resist pulling your leg." He was... joking, right? "Please help yourself. An apple and an open flame make for a succulent treat." He didn't wait to be told twice. He snatched up the apple and bit eagerly into it. The skin was crisped from the flame, but the inside was soft, sweet, and juicy. He found himself laughing as he ate, wiping the mess from his face on his sleeve. He finished the apple all too quickly, but decided to wait before eating any of the other supplies he had gathered.

He was hesitant to press his luck, nevertheless, he approached the man once again, who responded with a simple question, "Yes?" Link felt awkward, but the man had said to ask him for help. _What are you doing?_ The man chuckled. "I'm relaxing by the fireside, of course. Although I'll need to cook myself another baked apple at some point..." He glanced up at Link, but the amusement his voice held made it quite clear he wasn't upset. "Simple foods such as apples are fine to eat raw, but roasting them on a fire makes them tastier and more nutritious." More nutritious? So he had been right then about the mushrooms. Maybe he should take advantage of the fire then.

He took out a handful of mushrooms and laid them next to the fire. The old man gave an appreciative murmur as he did, "Toasty." After a few moments, he nodded to Link, who pulled the hot mushrooms away from the fire. The tops had split, but the aroma was amazing! He offered two of them to the old man, and kept the other two for himself. They ate together in silence, and Link was more than pleased with his meal. He thanked the man for allowing him to share his fire, and continued his explorations. Further down the path, he came across another apple tree, as well as the remains of a campfire and a discarded ax, which he collected; it might prove useful at some point.

He continued his journey into the trees just off the path. He hoped to find some more apples, but instead he found some bird eggs, which he carefully stashed into a cushioned corner of his pouch, some lizards, and one of the red creatures. Thankfully, the creature was as surprised to see him as he was to see it, and so he was able to prepare himself to fight. A brief skirmish followed, resulting in him breaking a couple of his collected branches, but he was finally able to defeat the creature. There wasn't much of the beast he wanted to collect, but he did keep one of its horns. Maybe he could find a use for it. If nothing else, he could sell it to someone for a few rupees.

To the side of the path he heard a splash, and from a narrow cliff looking down he saw a small pond full of fish, and an unusually perfect ring of plants. He also got the sudden urge to dive down into the middle of them. So sudden that he didn't even think about it. A running leap and he was falling headfirst into the water. As he broke the surface, his first and only thought was that this might have been a bad idea. As kicked and resurfaced, to find a strange creature hovering above him with a spinning leafy branch. It looked like it was made of... wood? "Ya-ha-ha! You found me!" It chirped to him in a delighted voice. "Huh? You're not Hetsu!" The delight turned to confusion. "But you can... see me? I didn't know your kind could see the children of the forest!" Children of the forest? Is that what this creature was?

"Well, if you run into Hetsu, please return this to him." He dropped a small, hard, golden object onto his head. Link scrabbled for it. It looked like a water drop, and it smelled... he couldn't even describe the smell other than distinctive. Great, now he was being asked to run errands for little floating wood children. "Oh, and my friends are hiding in lots of different places too! Don't be shy about poking your nose into suspicious places!" That... sounded like the absolute worst possible thing to do. But with that the floating creature left him alone. Link swam to a small island nearby, and quickly discovered that fishing was a lot harder than it seemed. Especially when you could only grab the fish with your hands, which you sort of needed to swim. Disappointed, he made his way to a much larger island and climbed to the top. He was rewarded for his curiosity by the discovery of a rusty sword stuck into a stone. It was certainly in need of repair, but it would most definitely last longer than a handful of branches.

He wasted a little more time chasing fish, finally catching one by total accident when he chased it onto the shore. He wasn't going to argue with success though, and collected the fish. When he picked up the path again, it was becoming less of a path and more of a road. Small broken down chapels dotted both sides, and he found himself exploring each of them, hoping to find supplies that might have withstood the ravages of time. He located a much nicer pair of trousers and some leather boots that were a lot hardier than the shoes he currently had, as well as some arrows. Even though he didn't have a bow to fire them with, he kept them. He also came across more of the bokoblins, and a couple of new creatures, strange blue jelly things that, despite looking like something edible, packed a really tough punch. With every battle he tried to collect as much as he could from the defeated enemies. Who knew what use they might play in future.

And everywhere, ruins as far as the eye could see. No one had lived here for ages it seemed, except for the old man.


	3. The Temple and The Tower

As he approached the temple, he realized that there were fewer and fewer signs of wildlife around it. The hush made the atmosphere even eerier, as if some great power was holding its breath. He could also see why. The temple was surrounded by great mechanical monsters. They resembled spiders, with numerous metallic legs, and as he explored their silent shapes, he found the remnants of their passing, gears, screws, shafts, and springs. Many of them were around the outside walls, though when he peeked into the interior, surprisingly, there were none on the inside. He explored the outside of the temple ruins thoroughly, though respectfully, not quite sure he was ready to enter such an obviously sacred place. He found more arrows, and even a bow to use them with, in addition to several bokoblins, and a few of the jelly monsters, chus.

Daring himself, he climbed a ladder he found on one side of the temple, carefully made his way up a damaged roof strut to the peak, and followed that all the way to the belfry. Here, his curiosity and daring was rewarded with another bow. As he exited the belfry, he glanced up, the high steeple calling to him. Scaling the stone wall was a lot harder than climbing the side of a rocky face. He slipped and slid many times, once almost falling over the edge. Finally, he made it to the top, and he had to say, the view that greeted him was well worth it. If he had thought he could see far from the cliff outside the Shrine of Resurrection, he could not have been more wrong.

From here, he could see snowy peaks behind him, the smoky mountain before him. A glint of what might be a great lake far in the distance. And further still... what might be the towers of a castle. He wondered if it was as decrepit as the other buildings, or if there were still people living down there, beyond the walls and cliffs of the Plateau. And... what were those strange sparkles? He reached a hand for them, to be greeted with a giggle and an squeaky "Yahaha. You found me!" Another of the wood creatures, _Koroks_ , had apparently been hiding up here. It dropped another seed into his outstretched hand, and then cheerfully giggled, "Buh-bye!" He shook his head, though more in amusement than exasperation, and carefully made his way back down to the ground. With a deep breath he steeled his nerves and began carefully exploring the interior of the temple.

At last, he approached the great statue sheltered in the still intact back half of the building. She stood as if a silent guardian to those long gone, surrounded by smaller matching statues at her base, and thanks to his memory, he could call her by name, the Great Mother Goddess, Hylia. He paused for a moment to bow his head, grateful that Hylia didn't need words. _You have been watching over this land for a long time, haven't you? And it was you who kept them from entering the Temple of Time, wasn't it? Blessed Hylia, who has watched over my steps to this point, I ask for your continued guidance. I am... lost, confused. I know not what has happened to me, but it seems I have been sleeping for a very long time. I ask that you grant your aid to me, that I may recover what I have lost._ He didn't expect a response, one normally didn't get one, but a sense of calm passed over him, and felt the Goddess Statue smiling down on him. Grateful, he smiled back, before exiting the Temple to continue his explorations.

Behind the Temple, he came across an archway. Through it, he could see snow and ice, and the chill wind blowing at him curbed his curiosity. He was grateful for whatever magics kept the snow on that side. He was not ready to explore such harshness yet. He did gather some small red fruits from the gateway though. Their bright color and spicy scent promised usefulness. Turning away from the gate, he continued, eventually coming across a group of bokoblins. He quickly recognized them as the group he had passed up before. Now, with more experience on his side, he felt the need to test his skills.

He soon realized he may have overestimated himself, but a bit of luck was on his side. One of the bokoblins caught his club on fire and panicked, setting himself and his compatriots on fire as well. Link snuck in, landed a few blows, was struck himself, and managed to make his way out before his injuries got too bad. With the enemies defeated, he scavenged the camp, picking up some more supplies, and even a few weapons and a shield. The shield was more of a pot lid, but he was not going to argue semantics over effectiveness. Outfitted in his new gear, he returned to the old man's campfire in order to reorient himself.

With his bearings set, he returned to what was apparently once a courtyard, completely with a long dry fountain. Directly ahead of him was the marker he was supposed to head towards, though he saw no evidence of anything special in that direction. Instead, he chose to continue exploring, to hopefully find more supplies and more information. Along the way he came across wild boar and birds to collect meat from, as well as many birds eggs and more Koroks. He also found a couple of bokoblin camps, and upon clearing them he found hidden treasures they had secreted away, as well as more weapons.

He eventually grew tired of exploring, and turned back to the glowing point on the map. As he traveled, he came across a small flat area covered with arrows. He began eagerly gathering them up, only to quickly realize the reason the field was peppered with arrows, was a pair of bokoblin archers on the hill just above him had been using it for target practice. Dodging whistling missiles, he charged at them with his weapon drawn, making quick work of them. Unfortunately, the noise drew the attention of another bokoblin, this one armed with a much nicer sword and shield than any others Link had met. The fight was quick though, and Link was soon sporting a new sword and shield himself. Checking the map, he came to realize he was standing almost on top of the glowing mark. He explored the area around it, coming across a shallow pond where was able to collect several more fish, and eventually, he made his way into what appeared to be a small cave. A pedestal sat here, the glyph on its face glowing orange. As he approached it, a cheerful mechanical message played for him.

Place the Sheikah Slate in the pedestal.

He hesitated for a moment, examining the pedestal, then shrugged and pulled the slate from his hip. He inserted it into the slot obviously designed for it, and with a click and whir of machinery, the tablet was taken into the pedestal. Again, the voice spoke, its cheerfulness all the more creepy for the message it delivered.

Sheikah Tower activated. Please watch for falling rocks.

_Wait, what?!_ his mind screamed as a rumbling deep in the earth slowly vibrated its way up through the ground. His legs started shaking, until he could no longer keep his balance, falling to the ground and clutching the pedestal. All around him, dirt and rocks fell, while beneath the earth the rumbling had become so loud as to almost be a roar. With an uncontrollable shock, the top of the cavern exploded in a shower of boulders and stone, as the floor beneath him suddenly shot up into the sky. Finally, all grew still. Slowly, he rose to his feet, unsure if it was really over. Then came the cheerful voice of the machine.

Distilling local information...

The blue crystal pointing down at the pedestal glowed, the light concentrating down its length until it was gathered at the very tip, before releasing what appeared to be a drop of liquid lightning onto the surface of Link's slate. He watched as the map on the screen disappeared in a flash of light, only to be replaced with an actual image, a real map of the area. As if in response to his thoughts, the Pedestal chirped again.

Regional map extracted.

The pedestal whirred, clicked, and then ejected his slate. He took it, studying the new map, recognizing many of the places he had visited, and planning to visit those he had not. He then slid it into the pouch at his side, and turned to leave, only to hear the voice once again.

**"Remember... Try... Try to remember..."**

A bright light glinted from the castle in the distance, and the voice came, almost pleading as it called to him.

**"You have been asleep for the past 100 years."**

He took a few steps closer to the castle, until the ground started rumbling again. Far away, an unearthly howl echoed across the landscape. He shaded his eyes against the light, and caught a glimpse of a swirling miasma of darkness encircling the castle.

**"The beast... When the beast regains his true power, this world will face its end."**

The miasma solidified, a bestial face with enormous tusks and glowing eyes. It roared again as it circled the castle, howling a promise of destruction to the entirety of Hyrule.

**"Now then... You must hurry, Link. Before it's too late..."**

He made his way to the edge, looking down at the dizzying height he found himself at. If he fell, there was no way in hell he was going to survive. Carefully, he stepped back, looking around the deck of the tower, wondering how he was supposed to get down. He discovered three openings in the deck. Two were filled in with heavy boulders, but one was clear. He looked down over the edge and saw a climbing surface, as well as a ledge. He gauged the distance with a careful eye, and decided it was close enough to not hurt if he fell onto the ledge, though climbing was probably preferable. But when did he ever do things the easy way?

He slipped over the side of the opening and let go. He landed on his feet on the ledge, unharmed. He looked over both sides; one side led to certain doom, the other appeared to be another easy jump down. He took that side, following the pattern of look, and then leap, spiraling his way down the tower until he landed on the ground. He gave a heavy sigh of relief as his feet touched solid ground. He hoped he wouldn't have to climb the tower again, though he had a suspicion that it was in his future. And so far, his suspicions had turned out correctly.


	4. Scavenger Hunt

He was about to set off when a familiar voice called out to him. He looked up to see the old man gliding down to where he stood. He only caught a glimpse of the device the man used before he distracted him. "My, my... It would seem, we have quite the enigma here." He looked up and pointed his staff at the tower Link had just descended. "This towers and others just like it have erupted across the land, one after another. It is almost as though... a long-dormant power has awoken quite suddenly." He turned back to Link, a question in his eyes as well as his voice. "If you do not mind me asking... Did anything... odd occur while you were atop that tower?"

Link thought carefully before answering. He still didn't quite trust the old man, but so far he had done nothing to warrant an active dislike, and he had actually helped him on his path so far. _I heard a voice,_ he gestured carefully, wondering what response he might get. Hearing voices was not necessarily a good thing, no matter who, or what, you were. But the old man didn't seem bothered. In fact, his tone seemed to imply a sense of relief.

"Well now! A voice, you say? And did you happen to recognize this mysterious voice?" Once again, Link was struck by the thought that the old man knew more than he was letting on. But at least in this instance he didn't feel bad about not giving him any more information. He had no more recognized the voice now, than he had when it had first awakened him. He didn't need to gesture with his hands to speak his answer, a simple shake of his head was enough. _No._

"I see." No longer relieved, he now sounded disappointed. "Well, that is unfortunate." The man turned away again, this time gesturing towards the castle, and the glowing miasmic darkness that surrounded it. "I assume you caught sight of that atrocity enshrouding the castle." Link nodded, and the man continued. "That... is Calamity Ganon. One hundred years ago, that vile entity brought the kingdom of Hyrule to ruin. It appeared suddenly, and destroyed everything in its path. So many innocent lives were lost in its wake. For a century, the very symbol of our kingdom, Hyrule Castle, has managed to contain that evil. But just barely. There it festers, building its strength for the moment it will unleash its blight upon the land once again." His voice grew grim. "It would appear that moment it fast approaching..."

He turned back to Link, his eyes unreadable. "I must ask you, courageous one... Do you intend to make your way into the castle?" It seemed a simple answer. Obviously not. That thing was quite easily twice the size of the castle. To fight it would be suicide. But at the words 'courageous one' something had stirred in him. Some long forgotten memory, or maybe, some ancient promise. His own face was grim as he gave his answer. _I do._ He was not sure what he expected in response, but whatever it was, was not what he got. The man laughed, "I had a feeling you would say that." Link was certain the man was once again playing with him, though he had a feeling it was not intended to be insulting.

"Here, on this isolated plateau, we are surrounded by steep cliffs, with no way down. If you were to try and jump off, well... no death could be more certain. Or more foolish. Of course, if you had a paraglider like mine, that would be quite another story." Link's interest was piqued. Had that been the device the man had used to glide down? _Paraglider?_ he spoke and gestured slowly, the unfamiliar word making speech difficult and hand signs complicated.

"Oho! Piqued you interest, have I? Yes, I didn't come soaring down here on my own feathery wings, you know! Worry not - I will happily give you my paraglider." Link's heart leaped at the idea, but the man's next words brought reality crashing down again. "But not for nothing." Of course not. "Let's see now... How about I trade it for a bit of treasure that slumbers nearby?" Link gritted his teeth. Of course. Treasure. No doubt guarded by some great monster, or hidden inside some deep, dark dungeon. "Come. Let me show you something." Link stared at the man's retreating back. _Like I have a choice?_ he gestured bitterly.

The man had already moved on to a small hill overlooking a lake full of broken ruins. He gestured towards an odd building Link hadn't noticed before. "Do you see that structure there? The one shining with a strange light? It began glowing at the exact moment those towers rose up from the ground. I would think such a place might house some sort of treasure, wouldn't you?" Link stared in angry disbelief at the man's back. Seriously? He didn't even know if there even was treasure, or what the treasure was. This was... stupid. "Treasure for the paraglider. A fair exchange, I believe." Whatever old man. Fine. He'd go and get the damned treasure. And if there was nothing in there but dust? Well, maybe he could find a rock or something.

He made his way over to the structure, venting his anger by clearing out another bokoblin camp as he did. He examined the outside of the structure, now labeled a shrine on his slate map. There seemed to be no way in, only a glowing orange pedestal on one side. Knowing what he had to do without being prompted, he held up the slate to the eye on its surface, and sure enough, the chirp of the mechanical voice soon spoke.

Sheikah Slate confirmed.

The glyph turned blue, then an emblem next to it began glowing as well, followed by more of the cheerful tones.

Travel Gate registered to map. Access granted.

What had been a solid wall suddenly drew inward, revealing a glowing platform inside the shrine. Link sighed. He had a bad feeling about this... but he also had no choice. He walked inside the shrine, and stepped on the platform. It glowed brighter, then suddenly began sinking down into the ground. He sank for what seemed an eternity, before the platform finally stopped, opening into a large room deep beneath the earth. It looked a lot like the chamber he had awakened in, the same symbols on the walls, the same hazy, dusty atmosphere.

**"To you who set foot in this shrine... I am Oman Au. In the name of the Goddess Hylia, I offer this trial."**

Trial? That didn't sound good. A quick glance around seemed to show no one else there, and no way out, save for the way he had come, and a pedestal in the corner. He walked up to it, and saw it was similar to the pedestal that had awakened the Tower, an opening for his slate and and crystal pointed down to it. He hesitated, remembering the earthquake that had come from his previous encounter, but since he really had nothing to lose, he went ahead and inserted the slate.

Sheikah Slate authenticated. Distilling rune...

Rune? The blue light concentrated at the tip of the crystal, and another drop of the liquid lightning splashed on the face of the slate. He leaned over the surface, watching as a new symbol appeared on the slate. A red half moon a _magnet_ , and the name, Magnesis.

Rune extracted.

The pedestal ejected the slate, and Link removed it. He wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to do now. He looked down at the floor, and saw that the two large panels covering it were made of metal. Could this rune be used to cast magic? He held it up and pressed the rune. Suddenly everything around him was cast with a faint red light, except for the panels with glowed bright red. He aimed the slate at one of them, causing it to glow yellow, and pressed the rune again. A beam of light shot out of the slate, striking the metal panel and lifting it. He carried it out of the way and deactivated the slate, the panel crashing with a loud clang of metal. He climbed down the ladder he had revealed and followed the path to a staircase. He mounted the stairs, but at the top found his path blocked once again. At least it appeared so.

Scanning the stone wall before him carefully revealed that one of the blocks was metal. He pulled out the slate and focused it on the block, pulling it free of the wall and causing another block to fall as well. He clambered up on top of the block, and climbed over the wall. Only to run into a much smaller version of the spider monsters that had attacked the temple. He raised his shield just in time, and quickly attacked. He had no idea it was as powerful as the large ones, and he was taking no chances. The little spider out of the way, he took a closer look at his current situation. The path before him was easy, a quick cross over the metal panel took him to the next platform. However there wasn't any way to go forward from there. He turned and grabbed the panel, turning a half circle to use it to bridge the gap before him.

The last platform was easy enough, two large metal doors that obviously opened towards him from the drag marks on the ground. He would need to be careful to make sure he was not in the way when they opened. But another sight had caught his eye. High up on an out of reach platform was a chest. He couldn't see any way to reach it, but then he noticed it was made of metal as well. He pointed the slate at it and pulled the chest to him, opening it for another bow. He then opened the doors and stepped through. The sight that met his eyes was unbelievable. A figure sat cross legged within a glowing cube.

It greatly resembled the chamber he had awoken in, and he wondered if it was some sort of preservation chamber. The figure looked like it was ancient, paper thin skin pasted to straw thin bones. The most striking thing about him though, was the Sheikah eye painted, or tattooed, on his face. Curiosity got the better of him, and he reached out to touch the cube wall. At his touch, it shattered. The figure made no movements, and yet a distinctive voice spoke to Link, unlike any of those he had heard to this point.

**"You have proven to posses the resolve of a true hero. I am Oman Au, the creator of this trial. I am a humble monk, blessed with the sight of the Goddess Hylia and dedicated to helping those who seek to defeat Ganon. With your arrival, my duty is now fulfilled. In the name of the Goddess Hylia, allow me to bestow this gift upon you... Please accept this Spirit Orb."**

As Link watched, a shimmering purple orb slowly exited the monk's body, and flew to Link, entering his chest. He gasped as warmth flooded his body, centered just over his heart, where the orb had entered. He raised a hand and pressed it against his chest, feeling the lingering heat, and a shock of emotions. A Spirit Orb, possessing the memories, and spirit, of the one who had gifted it to him. But did that mean...

**"May the Goddess smile upon you."**

Link was about to say something, a thank you maybe, or a question, but whatever it was died at the tip of his tongue, as the monk dissolved into shimmering green shards of light and faded away. Link then found himself enveloped in blue light, and the shrine around him faded away, to be replaced with the outside world once more. He had apparently been transported to the blue symbol at the entrance to the shrine upon completing it. He hadn't even taken a step before the old's man call alerted him to his presence. "It seems you managed to get your hands on a Spirit Orb. Well done!" Link wasn't sure what was worse, the faintly condescending tone, or the mysteriously omniscient abilities of this old man. He debated with himself over how to respond, before going with a simple request. _Paraglider, please?_

The old man chuckled. "I encourage you to slow down for a moment, my courageous friend. The appearance of those towers and the awakening of this shrine... It is all connected to that Sheikah Slate you carry on your hip there." As much as he wanted to get this over with, he was still a curious sort. He couldn't help but ask about the slate. _What do you mean?_ The old man nodded. "It has been quite some time since have seen that Sheikah Slate... Long ago, a highly advanced tribe known as the Sheikah inhabited these lands. The great power of their wisdom saved this kingdom time and time again. But their ancient technology disappeared long ago... Or so it is said. It is interesting, however, to think... how something like that survived all this time, hidden away in a shrine."

He pointed at Link. "These shrines are tucked away in numerous places all across this land. On this plateau alone, I believe there are still three more. Bring me the treasure from each of those shrines... and I will give you my paraglider." What?! The?! Hell?! He didn't even try to be polite as he gestured abruptly at the man, _That wasn't the deal!_ The old one chuckled again. "Oh? Well, I suppose I changed my mind. I'm sure that won't be a problem for a young go-getter like you!" Link actually growled at that statement. The man seemed a bit taken aback, but covered it quickly. "Since I'm feeling generous, I will also teach you a trick for finding shrines. It's always best to survey the area by looking around from a high point. Let's see here..."

He looked around, then back to Link. "How about you make your way to the top of that tower again?" The look Link gave him could most likely have caused another to drop dead on the spot, and his silence spoke volumes, _Are you joking?_ However, the only reaction he got was another laugh. "Oho ho! I am afraid not. But do not worry! I have another little trick to share with you for your effort. Take a look at the map on your Sheikah Slate." Link indulged him, hoping this would be worth it. "See those blue icons? You should recognize the cave where you woke, the shrine you just came from, and the tower." Link nodded, and put the slate back away. "You can travel instantly to any of those places with the Sheikah Slate." He turned away from the boy, before tossing a nonchalant rebuttal. "Or so I heard quite some time ago... I do not know if it actually works as such." With that, he walked away, headed towards the tower.

Link glared daggers at the man's back, then with an expression that may as well have meant _whatever_ , he pulled out the slate. Bringing up the map, he settled the selector on the tower icon and chose it. A confirmation popped up, asking if he wished to travel there. He thought for a moment, then shrugged. Why not? He accepted, and was suddenly enveloped in blue light. One of these days... he would learn to stop listening to old men in caves.


	5. Lessons Learned

The blue light around him faded and he found himself once more at the top of the tower. "Oho! I'm surprised it took you so long to catch up with an old man like me!" Link blinked. This had gone beyond foolishness. He didn't like this game. Dangle the promise of an answer, then throw only scraps of information, scraps that made no sense without all the pieces. _Did you... fly here?_ he finally gestured, equally miffed and curious. From the man's response, he guessed the miffed might have been a little more prominent than he had planned.

"Oho ho! So you think an old man like me needs to fly to stay ahead of you? I still have a few tricks left in me." Oh course, he probably wasn't planning on sharing any of them, was he? "Now then... I wanted you to join me up here so you could use this as a vantage point to search for shrines. Did you know about the scope on your Sheikah Slate? Look through it, and you can stick a pin anywhere you'd like to mark on the map." Well of course he hadn't known about the scope... he had received the slate what, a day ago? And since then he had been running back and forth on errands for this old geezer. But... once again, the information was useful, even if it might have been useful earlier.

"The pins on your map serve as reference points for your travels. Just stick a pin anywhere you're interested in!" He had to admit he was tempted to try it out, but... curiosity was one of those things you just can't put aside. _How do you know?_ Like always when he wasn't going to get a straight answer, the old man chuckled. "Oho ho! Just a few tricks I've picked up after many, many years in the wild... You may take my advice or leave it. Go ahead and take a look if you feel inclined to do so." Although upset he wasn't going to learn anything, he didn't need to be told twice to try out the scope. If it would help him on this fool's errand, then all the more reason to get used to using it.

After a bit of trial and error he managed to activate the scope feature, and held the slate up to look around him. He discovered that the scope also made distant things closer, which was a help in trying to find the glowing shrines. He settled the marker on each one, and pressing the pin button, caused a brilliant flare of light to rise up from each point he marked. He lowered the slate, and was surprised to see that the flares weren't visible. He supposed that made sense though... If you were marking a treasure you wouldn't want a giant sign saying **COME HERE** on it. He lifted the slate again, this time to check the map. There were three new glowing marks, each a different color, and each matching the color he had assigned to each shrine. Convenient. Now he could use the slate, and its map, to make his way much faster.

The closest shrine was amid some old ruins, another, south of the Temple of Time, and the last... The last was atop the great snowy mountain he hadn't been able to explore before. Great... this was going to be an adventure from hell. Hopefully he would be able to find something warmer to wear, else he was going to freeze to death. He grumbled for a bit more, then decided to head back to the Oman Au shrine and do some more exploring. He hadn't had much chance before he entered the shrine, and now, with night having fallen, maybe he would be able to look around without being interrupted by bokoblins constantly. Yeah, right.

As soon as the blue light of the travel magic faded, the ground rumbled. Two armed skeletons emerged from the earth and ran at him. Luckily, they seemed to fall quickly. He turned his back and was about to explore when he heard the whistle of an arrow. He whirled in time to see the skeletons whole and unharmed. What in Hylia's name? He struck them again, watching them fall. This time, he didn't turn his back, and to his horror, he saw the scattered pieces of bone coming back together, until the skeleton was whole once again, and coming after him. How were you supposed to destroy creatures that simply reformed? He struck wildly, scattering them as far as he could. A crunching sound to his right drew his attention, and he saw the skull of one of the creature bouncing around. With a desperate cry, he struck it, shattering it.

The two skeletons came together again, but the one without a head seemed disoriented and erratic. It gave Link an idea. He focused his attacks on the remaining skull, knocking it off the skeleton it crowned and finally shattering it. He watched as the two headless skeletons stopped, then collapsed into piles of bone. He waited for a good long time, to be sure they were not going to rise again, before he continued his journey, marking down the memory of how to kill them, in case he came across any more skeletal enemies. Which he did... all night. It was shocking at first to see the monsters sink into the ground when the sunlight hit them, but it made sense. During the daytime he hadn't seen any, only the regular bokoblins. At night, he had only seen the skeletons, the stalkoblins. Of course. Things could never be easy.

The Magnesis rune did make things easier. He found several chests at the bottom of a pond he could now pull to the surface and open. He also found a metal beam that he used to make a kind of bridge over a quicksand bog, allowing him access to two more chests. His supplies were plentiful now. Lots of cooked and preserved foods, as well as raw materials. A collection of weapons, bows, shields and arrows. The only thing missing was warmer clothes, and he hadn't even explored half of the plateau yet! His skills in fighting were getting better as well, bringing him confidence. Perhaps... a little too much confidence.

The bokoblin camp with two lookouts had been tough. He hadn't noticed the second until it had already seen him and sounded the alert. The fight was longer, and he had archers pelting him from two sides, but he managed to make it out alive. After bandaging his wounds and resting, he took another look at his map to decide where he was headed next. There was a valley in the middle of the woods he hadn't explored yet he noticed. Seemed like now was as good a time as any, so he headed in that direction. When he arrived, he noticed the valley was unusually quiet. He quickly discovered why. As he approached a large pile of rocks in the middle of the valley, they rose up, forming into a monster. A moment of hesitation found a boulder flying at his head, which he just barely managed to dodge and avoid. Forgetting all pretense of attempting to fight the thing, he fled out of the area, and didn't stop until he came upon a small campsite, complete with a cooking pot.

He took a moment to calm himself, sitting beside the fire and resting. He wondered about the cooking pot. He knew roasting food over a fire was all well and good, but what about actually cooking? Combining ingredients, seasoning them with just the right additions, and cooking to perfection? If nothing else it would distract him from the monster he had just seen, and narrowly escaped. His first couple of attempts were flops, a dubious mess lumps that couldn't rightfully be called food by anyone, except maybe a bokoblin. He soon got the hang of it though, managing some mushroom and meat skewers, an omelette, and a sweet honeyed apple that left him raring to go into battle.

He felt so good, he thought he could take on almost anything! He knew the rock monster was probably still beyond his limits, but he remembered a bokoblin outpost he had passed up when he was journeying first to the temple, then to the tower. He set off, eager to take out the little red demons. He knew better than to approach from directly ahead, there was nothing but wide open space, and the giant skull that served as shelter housed who knew how many enemies. Instead, he took a position high above them, a crumbling ledge that might have once been part of a bridge support. From here, he took out the most dangerous member of the party, the lookout. Once he was sure the beast was dead, and that none of his compatriots would be coming to check, he carefully climbed down to the tower the scout had once occupied.

From here, he tried to decide his next course of action. He still had no idea how many bokoblins remained inside the skull, and what they might be armed with. As he tried to look inside, he spied several red barrels with a "no flame" mark on them. Explosive powder. His eyes jerked to the lanterns dangling in the skulls eyes, and with a dark grimace, he took aim. The arrow severed the rope holding the lantern, dropping it into the middle of the skull. The sound of shattering glass seemed insignificant, especially when it was rapidly followed by a massive explosion. He heard shrieks from inside, but only one bokoblin made it out. This one wasn't red skinned like the others, but blue skinned. He also seemed much more fit, and larger. And he was carrying a flaming spiked club.

Link swallowed hard, but charged in bravely, shield up. The blue bokoblin screamed at him and swung the club. It tore through Link's shield as if it was nothing more than paper, shattering it and leaving him defenseless, but for his own club, of the non-flaming, non-spiked variety. He wasn't going to win this fight. He turned, planning to retreat, but the monster was faster. A second swing took his legs out from under him, causing him to trip and fall. He rolled over to see the monster raising the flaming club over its head. The last thing he thought, as he brought his hands up to cover his face, was to wonder if Hylia was still looking out for him. The club came down, there was pain, and then darkness.

He woke up screaming.

Panicked, he patted down his body, looking for some sign of injury or burn, and saw nothing. It had been so real, and yet... A dream... it had just been a dream. Sobered from the experience, he reconsidered his plans, but he also knew the outpost needed to be taken down. Maybe, he could learn from the dream. Do it differently. He approached the outpost the same way, taking out the scout from above, and then bombing the monsters with the lantern. This time though, he was more patient, and stayed on the lookout tower. When the blue bokoblin ran screaming out of the skull, he was waiting. Carefully aiming, he took it out with two shots. He waited a bit longer, to make sure there was no one else alive, then entered the skull. Nothing was left but charred remains, and a stone treasure chest.

He opened it to find a bundle of magic arrows. A hard battle, but a decent reward. He tucked them away and turned his face to the east. Time to go after that next shrine.


	6. Fool's Errands

The ruins appeared peaceful enough, but he had been exploring the plateau long enough to know that such appearances meant exactly jack shit. Especially when it was suspiciously quiet. There were more of the spider monsters here, a lot more than had been at the temple. He skirted around them carefully. He had a suspicion that not all of them were as dead as they seemed. He found himself crouching around corners as he tried to find a way to the shrine. Unfortunately, the only way to it seemed to be blocked by stone. He paused to think, leaning against one of the decayed monsters. As soon as he touched it, he realized his mistake. It rumbled to life, flickering red and blue light running through it. The central portion, what he assumed to be the head rotated and turned, before focusing on him. A red light shot out from it and focused on him, accompanied by a high pitched beeping sound. _Oh shit._

The red light tracked him as he moved, and the beeping grew faster. _OH SHIT._ He dove behind a wall just as the beeping reached a point where it might have been a single long sound, and a blast of light obliterated the ground where he had been standing just a moment before. Panting heavily, he tried to figure out how he was getting out of this one. He peeked around the corner of the wall, only to be immediately targeted again. Thankfully, it seemed that if the monster couldn't see him, it couldn't track him. _Shit shit shit._ He pounded a fist into the ground as he thought the word over and over. _No. Stop. Breathe._ He closed his eyes. He seemed safe here. The monster's legs had decayed away. It couldn't move. He just needed to find a path that left him hidden from sight.

He took a deep breath and looked back at the wall behind him. He could climb it. Up and over, and he should be hidden by the archway for most of it. Another deep breath. He strapped his club, bow, and quiver down so they wouldn't shift, and readjusted his supplies so that he was more balanced. Another breath. Ready... set... RUN! He took off for the wall, sprinting as if his life depended on it. He didn't want to think about how close to the truth that might be. He hit the wall and jumped as high as he could before he began climbing. This was the slowest part. He managed to get halfway up before he heard the beeping being. _SHIT._ He took a gamble and jumped the rest of the way, managing to make it over the top just as his breath ran out, and a blast of light took out the top of the wall.

He sat on the ground on the other side of the wall, gasping for breath. No wonder there were no people left. If any of those things were left that were ale to still walk, they had no doubt hunted them down and obliterated them. Was this what he was going to find when he finally made it to the ground beneath the plateau? An empty world of machines and monsters? Was there even anyone still alive? Was it worth it? He remembered the voice, calling to him from the castle, pleading with him. There was still one person, and they had asked for his help. He couldn't turn them away. He rose to unsteady legs, still leaning against the wall. His breathing finally returned to some semblance of normal, and he stood steadily. He needed to do this. He approached the pedestal and held his slate up to it. The pedestal glowed blue, the travel gate activated, and the shrine opened. He took a breath and stepped on the platform, sinking down into the depths.

**"To you who set foot in this shrine... I am Ja Baij. In the name of the Goddess Hylia, I offer this trial."**

This room was even smaller that the previous one had been, but housed the same atmosphere, and the same pedestal in the corner. He walked over to it and inserted his slate.

Sheikah Slate authenticated. Distilling rune...

Another drop of distilled magic hit the slate.

Rune extracted.

He retrieved the slate from the pedestal to take a look at the new magic he had acquired. Two symbols this time, a round bomb shape, and a square bomb shape, both in blue. The name for both of them was Remote Bomb. He tested both types, and soon figured out the differences. The round bomb would roll. If placed at the top of a slope it would roll all the way down, and if thrown, it bounced and rolled. The square bomb on the other hand, tended to stay put. When thrown, it didn't bounce as much, and didn't roll around, out of place. Both bombs didn't explode on contact or after a time period. Instead, they were detonated remotely, by the slate. A useful tool. He could already see tasks that would be easier with them. And he couldn't wait to blow some things up. He made his way through the rest of the shrine, and at the end, he found another monk.

**"Your resourcefulness in overcoming this trial speaks to promise of a hero... In the name of the Goddess Hylia, I bestow upon you this Spirit Orb."**

Once again, a strange purple orb left the monk's body and entered Link's instead.

**"May the Goddess smile upon you."**

Again, Link felt a moment of regret for the monk, who had spent their life waiting for him, only to dissolve upon completing their task. But this was what they had lived, and died for, and he, he had his own task to attend to. Armed with his new magic, he blasted away the stones blocking the archway to the shrine. He realized his mistake as soon as he did, as the machine just beyond focused on him. But this time, he was ready. He blasted it with a bomb, then rushed in, hacking with a powerful sword he had found in the shrine and shooting it in its targeting eye whenever it tried to focus on him. After a long fight, it finally fell, a series of explosions shooting pieces and parts in all directions. He stood there next to its deactivated corpse and smiled. He felt powerful. It was time to take on the other two shrines.

Following the map, he soon came across a small house. Outside, a cooking pot sat over a fire, and inside, a warm bed called to him invitingly. He looked around the home for signs of ownership, but all he found was a journal describing a recipe, and wishing someone would cook it for them. In exchange, they would give them a warm doublet. Link read the description carefully, and realized he had already made the dish himself. Maybe if he could find the owner of the home, he could exchange the recipe for the doublet! The thought passed with a great yawn. Having not had a decent night's rest in a few days, he fell into it and was soon asleep. He hoped whomever owned the house wouldn't mind.

He woke, surprisingly refreshed. As he exited the house, he heard the sound of an ax hitting wood, and went to investigate. He soon came across a familiar face, the old man chopping down trees. "Oho! Fancy that! So we meet again." Link wondered if it had been the old man's home he had slept in. _What are you doing?_ He realized as he gestured, the answer was obvious. "I thought this tree might make for some good firewood. However, getting a tree to fall exactly where you want it to is quite an art. The trick is to turn your hips so that they face where you want the tree to land." Advice again, but this time, with no evidence of amusement or hidden meaning. "So... Why not help me out and give it a few swings? I'm working up quite a sweat here... but these bones could use a break." The old man did look tired, and the way he shouldered his ax and walked away without his usual joking back and forth showed he was weary.

Link took the time to chop down a few trees and gather the wood, then he carried it back to the old man's house. He saw him seated next to the cooking pot, and decided to attempt some conversation. "Hm? What is it?" the man asked. _What are you doing?_ Link was vaguely amused by the fact that those words seemed to be the only thing he ever said anymore. "This body of mine isn't what is used to be. Recovering from a bout of hard work takes a while... If you're hungry, I have an empty pot you can use to cook yourself a meal." That reminded Link of the journal. _I cooked something._ "Wait... Is that... That looks just like my signature perfect dish, spicy meat and seafood fry! But how did you-?! Well, I suppose that is not important. Can I trouble you to share the recipe?"

Link grinned, finally able to show the old man something. He pulled one of the dried fish out of his bag and showed it to him. "Ah, of course! Hyrule bass! How could I have forgotten? Well done! Now, please allow me to reward your culinary efforts with this warm doublet." Link eagerly took it from him. It looked to be almost his size! The double layered tunic and shirt, along with the gloves the old man added in would definitely keep the cold away. As if reading his mind, the old man continued, "With that, you will be able to resist the bite of colder environments. As for me, I know a great spicy meat and seafood fry recipe, so I can do without that warm doublet." Link found himself laughing along with the man. He cooked a few more meals for himself, unsure if he would come across either fire or pot while seeking out the next shrines, then bid the old man farewell.


	7. Frozen Time

The map indicated that the shrine was just to the west of the old man's cabin, close to the southern edge of the map. Unfortunately there was a large chasm between the cabin and the cliff face he needed to climb to get there. Remembering the man's words, he went to the stand of trees on the edge of the chasm. Several of them seemed like they would be tall enough to bridge the gap. He selected one and took a couple of experimental swings as it. The tree feel, and promptly rolled into the abyss. Link watched it fall, and cursed his luck under his breath. The second tree he felled worked much better, bridging the gap between the two cliffs. He climbed atop it and took a few steps. It seemed steady enough, though there was no chance in hell of him looking down. He had discovered, or remembered, that he really didn't like heights.

His steps were slow. He had no intention of falling, and wanted to make sure he didn't slip because he was trying to go too fast. He stumbled at the end, but managed to fall onto the cliff. He was going to take a moment to grab his breath, but a pair of bokoblins had other ideas. He made short work of them, and after a little bit of exploration, set his sights on the mountainside. He got winded very quickly climbing, so he needed to carefully plan his route up. Thankfully, there seemed to be a series of ledges where he could pause for breath, so he made sure he would be passing close to them, even if it meant that he would take a little longer climbing. Better to have a place to stop and rest, then try to push through and fail. Especially since failure in this case meant falling to a very painful death.

He reached the top as the sun was setting. The shrine glowed orange in the fading light, but he didn't stop to admire it. Nightfall meant stalkoblins. He was not in the mood to fight the bony monsters. He held up his slate to the pedestal, and as soon as the shrine had opened, he took the platform down. This shrine's interior was a lot different. Instead of a maze, it was simply one large open room. However, most of the paths leading to the end were blocked in some fashion. He wondered how on earth he was supposed to pass through.

**"To you who set foot in this shrine... I am Owa Daim. In the name of the Goddess Hylia, I offer this trial."**

He made his way to the pedestal and inserted the slate, curious as to what magic this rune would give.

Sheikah Slate authenticated. Distilling rune... Rune extracted.

A yellow lock, and the name Stasis. How interesting! Being able to stop time, plus the added potential of storing energy within a stopped object, seemed like a powerful skill and one he couldn't wait to see in action. He eagerly set about exploring the shrine and testing his new power. He quickly discovered that timing was of the utmost importance. Stopping a gear turning a bridge did no good if the bridge span wasn't crossing the gap to be bridged. Similarly, freezing a stone ball in place when it was blocking the path he needed to take was equally useless. One also had to be careful about building up too much energy in a stopped object, otherwise, it had the potential to ricochet, and nearly knock you off of the platform you stood on. Adventurous escapades aside, he made his way up to the chamber housing the monk.

**"Your resourcefulness in overcoming this trial speaks to promise of a hero... In the name of the Goddess Hylia, I bestow upon you this Spirit Orb. May the Goddess smile upon you."**

With the third shrine done, he set his sights on the snowy peaks to the west. Climbing through the snow was tiring, and he had to frequently stop. The bokoblins seemed more aggressive as well and he found himself struggling, though the more he fought, the better he got. He could see the shrine in the distance, but another landmark on his map drew his attention more. Mount Hylia. He wanted to see the peak, one of the highest points in all of Hyrule. He approached the mountain, spying a path that spiraled up the steep sides. As he followed it, he wondered what he would find. Nothing seemed to be the most obvious idea, but something told him no. What he did find, was a tall stone, standing upright at the very peak, several smaller stones around its base to keep it from falling. Link shivered as a cold breeze seemed to cut through even the warm doublet, but he wasn't sure that was the only reason he shivered, as he surveyed how high he was above the ground.

The shrine was just a short distance away, and he headed there quickly, wanting to be away from the desperate chill that permeated everything around him. The shrine itself was on a rise overlooking an icy pool. He didn't dare touch the water. No doubt it was could enough to cause frostbite on contact. There was a treasure chest floating in the middle of the pool, but it was made of wood, and there seemed to be no way to claim it, for now. He activated the pedestal and entered the shrine. This one was different yet again. Another maze, but he could hear the splashing of water.

**"To you who set foot in this shrine... I am Keh Namut. In the name of the Goddess Hylia, I offer this trial."**

As he inserted his slate into the pedestal, he realized this was the last shrine on the plateau, and from the look of the rune page on the slate, possibly the second to last magic he would receive as well.

Sheikah Slate authenticated. Distilling rune... Rune extracted.

Cryonis, whose rune was a white snowflake. Of course, what else would you get in this icy land? But, it meant that now he would be able to get to that chest in the icy pool, as well as cross some of the other bodies of water he had seen without swimming. This shrine also brought back an old friend, one of the small spider machines. Compared to the large one he had fought earlier, this little one was a piece of cake. He got plenty of practice using his new spell to climb up to the monk's platform and acquire the last Spirit Orb.

**"Your resourcefulness in overcoming this trial speaks to promise of a hero... In the name of the Goddess Hylia, I bestow upon you this Spirit Orb. May the Goddess smile upon you."**

Link felt the same pang as before, but now there was another feeling along with it. The monks, they were giving their power to him, but they were doing so because they believed in him. Whatever he had been in his past, it was worth this sacrifice of so much experience and knowledge. As the monk faded away, Link made a promise to himself, and to them. Their sacrifice would not be in vain. He would prove he was worthy of those who gave so much of themselves for his sake. The light surrounded him, and he felt himself being whisked away. When he felt solid ground beneath him once again, he heard the laugh of the old man, and turned to see him gliding down next to the shrine.

"With this, you have now acquired all of the Spirit Orbs from the shrines on this plateau. Oho ho! Extraordinary!" He seemed genuinely pleased, and Link smiled, only to have that smile fade at the man's next words. "That means... it is finally time. Link it is finally time for me to tell you everything. But first..." The tone alone chilled Link more than the cold breeze. Maybe... some things weren't worth the price... Link reached for the man, but turned away, pointing towards the center of the plateau. "Imagine an X on your map, with the four shrines as the end points. Find the spot where those lines intersect. I shall wait for you there." He turned back to Link, his eyes sorrowful, his voice quiet. "Do you understand? Where the two lines connecting the shrines would cross..." Link gasped. The old man's body slowly faded, pale lights circling his form, leaving glittering trails behind. "There... I will... be waiting..." As his form faded away, so did his voice.

Finally, Link understood. He might not understand everything, but he understood so much more than he had before. And now, with this new revelation, perhaps he would finally get the whole story. He brought up the map and gently traced a line between the two sets of shrines. _Where the lines would cross..._ Of course... The Temple of Time. There wasn't a quick way there, but the Shrine of Resurrection was close. He selected it, and traveled there in a beam of glowing light. It was with a mix of dread and anticipation that he approached the temple. Night had fallen, but within the temple he could see a glow coming from the Goddess' statue. He fought off a trio of stalkoblins, and entered the silent ruin. He bowed his head before the statue, and heard a voice speaking gently to him.

 **"You who have conquered the shrines and claimed their Spirit Orbs. I can offer you great power. It appears you have claimed four Spirit Orbs. In exchange for four Spirit Orbs, I will amplify your being. So tell me what it is that you desire."** It was a difficult decision. Greater strength... or greater endurance... He debated for a time, before he finally gave the Goddess his answer. _Stamina_ , he gestured. **"I shall grant you the power you seek. Go, and bring peace to Hyrule..."** The light of the Goddess faded, and Link felt himself grow stronger. A call from above drew his attention, and he looked up to see the form of the old man, the spirit flames dancing around him.

"The blessing of the Goddess has made you that much more resilient, I see... Here I am... Get up here - quickly!" Link made his way out of the temple to the ladder on the outside that he had used previously, and followed the spirit lights to the belfry, where the old man waited for him. Link stood before him, patiently waiting. He was not kept waiting long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To all those reading, feel free to tell me what you think, even if it sucks. :P
> 
> Does this format work? Each chapter is averaging about 2k words, which seems a fairly easily readable amount without becoming a massive wall of text, though I suppose I could start compressing it if people prefer.
> 
> It is also being written as I play, which is why it updates so sporadically. Not sure why that needed to be mentioned but there you go.


	8. Answers

The old man bowed his head before he began speaking. "Well done there, young one! Now, then... The time has come to show you who I truly am. I was King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule. I was... the last leader of Hyrule. A kingdom which no longer exists." Link stepped back in awe. The tone of the man's... of the king's voice had changed completely, and he had no doubt he spoke truly about who he was. As he stepped back, a bright light emanated from the king's body, causing Link to throw up an arm against being blinded. When the light faded, the man's disguise was completely gone, as was any pretense at anything other than a spirit.

Before him, in full royal garb with crown, floated the King. His body still appeared solid, though it faded towards his feet, and his form was shaded by the spirit flames that surrounded him. Link still felt the urge to kneel. "The Great Calamity was merciless... It devastated everything in its path, lo, a century ago. It was then that my life was taken from me." Link felt a flare of anger. Not at the King, but at the Calamity, and he had to admit, at himself, though he knew not why. "And since that time, here I have remained, in spirit form. I did not think it wise to overwhelm you why your memory was still fragile. So rather than that, I thought it best to assume a temporary form." He turned to Link and bowed his head, "Forgive me." Link shook his head. No, there was no need to ask for forgiveness. Even though he had been deceived, it had been for his benefit. He would not see guilt held for that. _There is no need. I hold you blameless,_ he gestured to the King. _I thank you, for your care, and your understanding._

He saw pride in the King's eyes, and when he spoke, his voice was once again strong. "I think you are now ready. Ready to hear what happened 100 years ago." Despite not needing it, the King drew a breath, and Link knew that the words coming next were hard, both to remember, and to speak. "To know Calamity Ganon's true form, one must know the story from an age long past. The demon king was born into this kingdom, but his transformation into Malice created the horror you see now. Stories of Ganon were passed from generation to generation in the form of legends and fairy tails. But there was also... a prophecy."

" _The signs of a resurrection of Calamity Ganon are clear. And the power to oppose it lies dormant beneath the ground._ "

"We decided to heed the prophecy and began excavating large areas of land. It wasn't long before we discovered several ancient relics made by the hands of our distant ancestors. These relics, the Divine Beasts, were great machines piloted by warriors. We also found the Guardians, an army of mechanical soldiers who fought autonomously. This coincided with ancient legends, oft repeated throughout our land. We also learned of a princess with a sacred power and her appointed knight, chosen by the sword that seals the darkness. It was they who sealed Ganon away using the power of these ancient relics."

"One hundred years ago, there was a princess set to inherit a sacred power and a skilled knight at her side. It was clear that we must follow our ancestors' path. We selected four skilled individuals from across Hyrule and tasked them with the duty of piloting the Divine Beasts. With the princess as their commander, we dubbed these pilots Champions - a name that would solidify their unique bond. The princess, her appointed knight, and the rest of the Champions were on the brink of sealing away Ganon... But nay... Ganon was cunning, and he responded with a plan beyond our imagining. He appeared from deep below Hyrule castle, seized control of the Guardians and the Divine Beasts, and turned them against us. The Champions lost their lives. Those residing in the castle as well. The appointed knight, gravely wounded, collapsed while defending the princess... And thus, the kingdom of Hyrule was devastated absolutely by Calamity Ganon."

"However... The princess survived... to face Ganon alone."

As the King spoke... memories stirred. Fragments, some just images, some just words. A disjointed, incoherent mess. But one that was gradually starting to make more sense, the pieces starting to fit together. As if summoned by the King's words, one of them surfaced. A voice only, familiar.

**"Link... You are our final hope. The fate of Hyrule rests with you."**

"That princess was my own daughter... My dear Zelda. And the courageous knight who protected her right up to the very end... That knight was none other than you, Link. You fought valiantly when your fate took an unfortunate turn." Fragments of memory came to him at this, but nothing substantial. Only a sense of great pain, and great loss. "And then, you were taken to the Shrine of Resurrection. Here you now stand revitalized, 100 years later. The words of guidance you have been hearing since your awakening are from Princess Zelda herself. Even now, as she work to restrain Ganon from within Hyrule Castle, she calls out for your help." The familiarity of the voice suddenly made sense, though he could not put a face to it yet. "However, my daughter's power will soon be exhausted. Once that happens, Ganon will freely regenerate himself and nothing will stop him from consuming our land."

The King's voice became solemn, "Considering that I could not save my own kingdom, I have no right to ask this of you, Link..." His hands clenched into fists, "But I am powerless here... You must save her..." his voice cracked for the first time since he had begun speaking, "my daughter. And do whatever it takes to annihilate Ganon. Somehow, Ganon has maintained control over all four Divine Beasts, as well as those Guardians swarming around Hyrule Castle. I believe it would be quite reckless for you to head directly to the castle at this point. I suggest... that you make your way east, out to one of the villages in the wilderness. Follow the road out to Kakariko Village. There you will find the elder, Impa. She will tell you more about the path that lies ahead. Consult the map on your Sheikah Slate for the precise location of Kakariko Village. May your way past the twin summits of the Dueling Peaks. From there, follow the road as it proceeds north..."

"Go on... Here is the paraglider, just as I promised. With that, you should be able to safely fly off the cliffs surrounding this area. And... I think that's it. I've told you everything I can..." The change in his tone was familiar. He was preparing to say good bye. "Link... You must save... Hyrule..." With those last words, the King faded away, leaving behind only the spirit flames, which faded away slowly as well. _Farewell to you too, sire. May you find peace, in the beyond._


	9. Eastward Bound

He held up the paraglider, his hard won prize. It was wood framed, with a thick, canvas-like material stretched over the top. He ran his fingers over the design stitched into it, wondering what the threads and material were made of, that it was so strong, and yet so light. Its shape allowed it to collapse easily, and open even quicker, necessary for gliding he would imagine. He collapsed it and slid it into a spare quiver on his back, before taking a look at his map to plot his next course of action. The King had told him to head east. He should probably try and find a tower in that area. If it was anything like the tower on the plateau, then he might be able distill another section of his map. He traveled to the tower, in order to take a look around. Holding up his scope, he found it, hidden in the shadow of the twin peaks.

He marked the area with a pin, then went to scanning more of the area, looking closer to the walls of the plateau, and was surprised to discover a small herd of horses. Amused, he marked the area with another pin. A horse would make travel faster certainly. As well as make carrying supplies easier. And speaking of supplies... He next returned to the Owa Daim shrine, and from here, he glided down to the old man's... to the King's cabin. He rested in the bed, unsure when the next time would be that he would see one. The next morning, he gathered whatever supplies were left in the cabin, cooked a few more meals, and returned to the Oman Au shrine, the nearest one to the pin he had left for the horse herd. He doubted they would be in the exact same area, but they might be close.

He felt his stomach jump as he looked out over the edge. It was higher than he had thought, and the ground was rocky, strewn with boulders and broken pieces of the wall, long ago fallen and shattered. The horses were gone of course. He paced back and forth along the edge for a time. A couple of times he made to turn back to the plateau, thinking he might need a few more supplies, or he should cook some more food, or he should take a rest. But he stopped himself each time, recognizing the thoughts for what they were. Fear. He was afraid. Of the past and what had happened. Of the present and what he might find. Of the future and what he was to face. But he could not afford fear. He must do this; it was what he was born, and died, for.

With new resolve he returned to the edge. He closed his eyes and lifted his chin. A faint breeze from the east. Good. There was a small flat field just to the west. The horses had likely headed there, and the breeze would push him that direction. He pulled the glider from his back, gripping it tightly in both hands. It was now, or never. He backed up a couple steps, and ran for the edge, leaping out into the open air. He felt himself falling, then the glider caught. It was hard to hang on, with the ground calling to him so loudly. He was glad the Goddess had blessed him, for he doubted he would have made it safely to the surface without her.

As he neared the ground though, he suddenly realized he had no idea how to land. A vague memory of the old man flitted past, and he lifted his knees, only to put them down and run a few steps just as he made contact. He stumbled, the glider flew out of his hands, landing nearby, as he tumbled into a stand of tall grass. He lay there on his back for a moment, looking up to the sky. The grass was the same the grass on the plateau had been, the sky, the clouds, the earth, and yet... everything felt different. It felt free. It felt wild. He rolled over and sat up on his knees. The glider lay upside down beside him, and he picked it up, folding it and putting it on his back again. A whinny in the distance reminded him of his purpose, and he set off to the west.

He kept to the tall grass, crouched down and moving slowly so he wouldn't make as much noise. As he crested a hill, he saw them, grazing in the thicker grass below. A large brown stallion, a black mare with a white mane, a red and white mare with a black foal at her side, and... a steel grey mare with a white spotted blanket. She drew his eye, not for her markings or her coloring, but for the worn rope bridle that still twisted about her head. She had belonged to someone once. She walked slowly, lagging behind the others, limping in one foot. He wondered if she had an injury, or maybe if she had a loose or broken shoe. He doubted he had the strength or endurance to tame a wild horse, but this one, this one he might be able to bring back to gentleness.

He continued to creep down the hill, moving even more carefully and slowly because of the slope. The last thing he wanted to do was to tumble into the middle of a herd of wild horses. Ever so quietly, he slid up to the mare's side, until he was right next her, and with a leap he was on her back. The bridle was useless, and he couldn't reach it anyway, so he held fast to her mane. She kicked out once, twice, but between her injured foot and his calming words, she settled. He stroked her neck talking to her constantly as he guided her away from the others. There was no reason to frighten them any more than they already were. Once they were away, he slid off of the mare's back, still speaking with her. Gently he lifted each of her feet, soon finding the problem. She had lost all of her shoes but one, which was crooked and twisted. He carefully pried the last nails free, and threw the shoe away. He then returned to stroking her, until he made it back to her head. Here, he untied the frayed and useless bridle, tossing it away.

 _There you are,_ he murmured in between rubbing the sore spots on her face. _It that better?_ The horse was still nervous, but she whickered quietly, leaning into the touch. She remembered people still, and the comfort they could bring. _Are you ready to help me explore a bit?_ She whickered again, and he took that as a yes. Climbing up onto her back again and gripping her mane, he clicked his tongue and they started out. She shied away at the roadway, no doubt remembering, and still feeling, the pain in her feet, but he kept up the calming pats, and alternated riding, and just walking beside her. They stayed close to the wall of the plateau, with Link frequently checking his map to be sure they were going the right direction. They saw no other people, and thankfully no enemies, but signs of their past presence was everywhere. Ruined building, rusted weapons, and tattered banners still flying at the top of long forgotten signposts. Could there be no one left? The King had been certain he would find people in the villages, but he couldn't help but wonder if that would be true, with as desolate as the landscape around the plateau was.

Nearly a full day had passed when they came across their first signs of life, the scream of a bokoblin, followed by a valiant shout of "Have at thee!" Link slowed his horse and left her safely hidden in a stand of trees. _Stay here,_ he whispered, unsure if she even understood. He pulled a shield and a blade from his supplies, and ran in the direction of the fight. There were three of the bokoblins, and two Hylians. He charged in, striking down two of the creatures. As he turned he saw one of the Hylians ending the last. Wiping blood from his sword and sheathing it, he went up to the pair of them, wanting to be sure they were safe. The response he got was hardly thankful.

"How rude. No one asked you to interfere." Link blinked. He attempted to gesture an apology, but the woman ignored him entirely. "I expect you'll be wanting a reward as well? Fine here. And don't expect anything else." Link tried to gesture that he didn't want, or need, anything, but the woman shoved a bottle of some liquid into his hands and turned her back on him. Link glanced at the pair of them a couple of times, but then gave up, returning to his horse's side. _I hope, the rest of the inhabitants of Hyrule are a little nicer than that. Otherwise... I don't know if I want to save them._ He tucked the bottle into one of his pouches, and the pair of them continued their journey.

He felt a growing sense of something, or someone, watching him as he approached a large fork in the road. The map told him his path led down to the left, along a deserted thoroughfare through what might have once been a large outpost, possibly even a barracks for soldiers. The ruins seemed to be empty. He was quite certain they were not. He had been walking, but now he adjusted the pack the horse was carrying so he would have a place to sit. _We are going to need to go fast through here,_ he mumbled to her, and to himself. _If we stop to fight, we might not make it out. You might be frightened, but if you trust me, we will be safe. Will you trust me?_ The horse whickered softly, and Link was sure he heard a grunt from up ahead. He shushed her, and climbed up to her back. Wrapping his fingers in her mane and leaning forward, he gave a loud, _"Yah!"_

Used to his near silence, she reared up and raced forward. As they ran, Link caught sight of bokoblins, and other, much larger monsters. _Moblins_ he thought to himself. Silently, he urged the horse on, knowing he had to tread a delicate balance between her sore foot, and their own danger. He felt her starting to flag as they approached a bridge, and he patted her neck with his free hand. _Almost there, just a little more._ Her feet clattered on the stones of the bridge, and he pulled her to a stop, climbing down as soon as he could. Behind him, he could hear howls and cries, but none of them seemed to be coming towards them. They had lost them.

She shivered as she stood there, and he knew he needed to walk her out, but first, he had to check her feet. He had to know she hadn't hurt herself more saving them both. Her muscles twitched as he reached for her legs, but she allowed him to lift up each foot, even the injured one. He couldn't see any new damage, but he decided to walk the rest of the way, unless he absolutely had to. Releasing her hoof, he wrapped his arms around her neck and leaned into her. _Thank you,_ he whispered as he pulled away. _How about a nice easy walk now?_ She shook her head, her mane flying everywhere, but she walked with him, occasionally shoving her nose into his side as she hunted for the apple slices he kept in his pockets. He always obliged her with a treat when she did, and so the bond between them grew stronger.

 _You need a name, something that fits you._ He tested a few names in his mind, variations of fast, storm, grey. _Burya,_ he gestured, slowly signing each letter. The horse only nudged him again, seeking another apple. He laughed and gave her one. _Burya. Your name is Burya._

The road was easy the rest of the way. He was able to skirt around one camp of bokoblin, by taking a path through a nearby forest. The tower rose up high above them, but it was on the far side of the river. The current was swift, and Link didn't want to risk himself or his horse fighting it. He would have to return by another path. They were cautious as they walked through the rift between the peaks. The narrow path left no room for missteps, and suspicious ripples swam against the flow of the river. Link had no interest in investigating them just yet; he would not find himself overestimating himself again. The daylight on the far side of the mountains was an uplifting sight, as was the small bridge crossing. Both Link and the horse were weary, plodding steps growing slower. Relief however, was in sight.

Just past the river crossing stood a large, well-lit building. Link could see several people gathered around it, as well as walking in and out. The sound of horses whinnying, dogs barking, and cuccoos clucking also came to them. A stable and inn, if Link was remembering correctly. They would be safe here, there would be soft beds and soft hay, and Burya would be able to be tended. He might even be able to find a buyer for some of his supplies; in fact, he would likely have to, if he intended to stay there for any length of time. He stopped a few of the strangers, who all pointed him to a strange man carrying an even stranger pack on his back. Link was not concerned with appearance though, only with if he wished to trade.

The merchant introduced himself as Beedle, an appropriate calling considering the beetle shape of his pack. When Link indicated he wished to trade some of his items, the man's eyes lit up eagerly. They sat, Link pulling out this item or that, Beedle offering a variety of rupees for each thing. Finally, they agreed on their trade, and Link was left with a lighter supply bag, but a heavier purse. His next stop was the stable manager. For a small sum he not only gave Link a stall with fresh food and bedding, but also a new bridle and saddle. For a bit more, he had a healer take a look at her. The healer pronounced her as sound as could be, though he recommended good food, a medicinal rub on the foot, and time. Link thanked them both and made sure the mare was well settled before he too sought a bed. Thankfully the inn, though busy, had plenty of beds, and Link was grateful to sleep in a nice bed once again.


	10. Back to the Tower

Morning came quickly, but Link didn't mind. He felt refreshed, and Burya was dancing eagerly in her stall, anxious to get going. He knew he was going to tackle the tower today, but he thought he might also get some information on the area. A man named Rensa promised directions, so Link decided to talk to him for a bit. "Welcome to Dueling Peaks Stable! What do you think of he place? Pretty nice, yeah?" Link nodded. He was very impressed, and didn't mind complimenting everyone who worked at the stable for their hard work. "It might be hard to imagine now, but this place was nearly destroyed about 100 years ago." He could imagine, having seen the desolation of the outpost, and just the distant form of the Calamity. "However, thanks to the blessings of the Dueling Peaks, everything is full of life again. Even the wild horses are black. There's a lot of energy in this place!"

He seemed to realize he'd gotten off track, and gave Link a sheepish grin. "So where are you heading? Both Kakariko Village and Hateno Village are nearby. Leave it to Rensa to tell you about the roads around this area." Link thought about it, he definitely needed to know more about Kakariko, but he was now curious about both of them. _Could you tell me about Kakariko first, but then also Hateno?_ he gestured. "Kakariko Village is the village where the Sheikah clan lives. It's said that, some time ago, they had advanced techniques that were more powerful than anything anyone had seen. But that power put them at odds with the king at the time, and they were scattered across the land..." Another sheepish grin. Link couldn't help returning it with one of his own.

It was obvious the man enjoyed being a guide, and him getting distracted and telling more about the lands he was directing someone to than giving actual directions only made sense. "Anyway, if you leave here and follow the road straight to the north, you'll find a big bridge. Cross that and keep following the path, and you'll come to the Kakariko Village gate. Hateno Village is a village on the edge of Hyrule. It was largely unaffected by the events of the Great Calamity, so the people there are pretty easygoing." Link thought about that. To see a village that hadn't experienced the destruction would be amazing, and it would bolster his resolve to be sure they never had to face it. "I hear they even have a research center... But folks tend to avoid the weird scientist who lives there..." Rensa muttered this last part, but it only served to make Link more curious. Maybe after he completed his task in Kakariko, he'd be able to take a walk around Hateno, and take a look at this research center.

"Anyway, head north from here until you reach a fork in the road. Then go east and just follow the road. It's a little far if you walk it, but with a horse, you should easily get there in a couple of days!" Link nodded, thanking him for the information. "Everything looks just as it always has, but the effects of the Great Calamity still linger. For example, a lot of monsters come out at night, so be careful when the sun sets..." That made sense as well, the plateau had been the same. He saddled Burya and soon the pair of them were headed back towards the tower, this time along the opposite bank. He stopped just before the canyon narrowed tremendously. Echoing screeches from ahead of them meant there was an enemy group ahead, and he had no intention of running Burya through it.

He looked around for another path, then looked up. Along the canyon wall above him, a narrow ledge ran what seemed like the full length of the cliff. He nodded, and climbed up to it. It was very narrow indeed, but, it was enough to walk along. He kept going, into the canyon, following the sounds of bokoblins. Their camp was large, and there were at least five of the monsters there, including one blue bokoblin. There was no way Burya would be able to safely pass through, unless he cleared them out. He continued along the path, checking out the entire camp. There was no good way to sneak into it, but he had noticed something else. Several explosive barrels. He readied one of his bombs, and lobbed it into the middle of the barrels. The bokoblins watched dumbly as it fell, until he detonated it.

Multiple explosions rocked the canyon, echoing loudly, covering the screeches of burning monsters. Finally, silence fell. There was not much left in the camp to loot, but it was now safe to traverse. He whistled, a short, five toned tune, and heard an answering whinny. Trotting feet echoed into the canyon, followed by the appearance of the grey mare. He rubbed her neck, then climbed aboard to continue their journey to the tower. The canyon opened up to a dead end where the river widened. Here, the tower stood. He could see an enemy camp in the distance on the far side, but apparently, they had not assumed someone would be able to get close from this side. He glanced up to the tower, trying to ignore its height. A large slab of rock leaned against it, forming a natural bridge from the spit of land he stood on, to a ledge about halfway up. There were other platforms in an even, regular alignment from there. It should be an easy climb, as long as he wasn't spotted.

He left behind most of his gear, save for a single bow and quiver, a light spear, a small shield, and the glider. The pair of them had found some shrines along their path, and while he had not found any new magic, he had picked up some other items, one of which was a bandanna that seemed to be made from the same material as the glider. He used it to tie back his hair, knowing that having it blow into his face would be a possibly deadly distraction. Preparations complete, he walked up the stone bridge, and began climbing. He wasn't sure if it was the Goddess' blessing, the bandanna, or both that made the climb easier, but he only had to pause for breath once. Before long, he was at the top, where an empty pedestal awaited his Sheikah Slate.

The now familiar mechanical tones indicated the activation of the tower, and the distillation of a new section of map, this one much larger than that of the plateau. But there was more.

Sheikah Slate updated. Additional functionality detected. Sheikah Sensor acquired. The Sheikah Sensor can be disabled and enabled from your map screen.

The pedestal ejected the slate. Link was holding it up to explore this new function when another message greeted him.

Sheikah Sensor now operational. Search for shrines by moving in the direction with the strongest signal.

_Signal? What did that mean?_ He would need to explore how to use the sensor later, especially if Hylia would continue to give him blessings for the Spirit Orbs the monks gave to him. He returned to the stable one more time to get his bearings and sell a few more things to Beedle, then he headed north. Taking the left fork brought him to the Kakariko Bridge. Beyond it, the path lead upwards, twisting and turning between overgrown rises that were more than just hills, but not quite mountains. It was along this path, that he came across a strange creature, one that looked for the world like an overgrown Korok. Curious, he stopped to speak with it.

"Shalaka?! You! You can see me?!" Link was amused. It was the exact same response he had gotten from the first Korok he met. He couldn't resist poking a bit of fun at the creature. _I can't see you,_ he gestured, though he couldn't keep the grin from his face. "SHOLOKO?!" The tone was incredulous, then understanding and amusement hit. "Then how are you talking to me, silly boy?" They both shared a laugh, and Link couldn't help but feel happy in this creature's presence, even when it began singing. "~Shala-zah! Shala-kah!~" Luckily, the overgrown Korok seemed more interested in talking. "It's been 100 years since anyone has been able to see me! I'm Hetsu, and I need your help!" Of course, he was Hetsu, the one the smaller Koroks had told him to find. And of course, like them, he needed Link to go and fetch something.

"Those monsters over there stole my beloved maracas! I think they're still on the other side of those rocks. I can't use my powers without them. Shoko... So please! PLEASE get my maracas back from them!" The thought of what kind of powers Hetsu might command ranged from amusing to horrifying, but he also couldn't see him using any of his powers for ill will. And, he really didn't need an excuse to hunt down more monsters, not really, so he might as well help the man... err... vegetable..? Um... Hetsu. He might as well help Hetsu out. He and Burya headed further down to the path, to the archway Hetsu had indicated. Not planning to attack head on, just in case, he left the mare back a ways, and climbed up the rocky face so he could stand on the archway proper. Three blue bokoblins. He looked around their encampment, but there were no barrels this time. There was however, a ledge.

He threw some bombs at them, managing to blow two of them off the edge of the cliff altogether, and wounding the last. He hopped down and finished the job with his spear. He searched the camp and soon found a chest with a pair of red painted gourds inside. He gave them an experimental shake, but they were silent. He wondered if maybe they only responded to Hetsu, or were otherwise magical in some way. Tucking them into his shirt, he picked up Burya's reins and headed back to the tree where Hetsu was waiting. As he walked up to him, he pulled the maracas from his shirt. "SHALA-KALA! Those are... Those are my maracas! Please giiiiiive them to meeeeeeeee!"

He handed them over, curious as to what would happen next. Hetsu was overjoyed, shaking them and singing to himself. "~SHAAAAAA-LAAAAAH-KAAAAAAAH!~" But it shortly became clear that something was not right. "But wait! There's something wrong with my maracas! The Korok seeds inside are gone! How am I supposed to dance now? Shoko..." He looked so pitifully sad... Link almost couldn't stand it. "If I had just one Korok seed, I could sing, dance, and use my powers to help you. You see, I have the power to allow you to carry more things! So let me know if you find some Korok seeds!" Well, wasn't it Hetsu's luck that link managed to have some Korok seeds lying around?

"The children of the forest must have taken the Korok seeds from my beloved maracas. I never thought I'd be the target of one of their pranks. Shoko... *sniff* But wait... *sniff sniff* Do you have a Korok seed?! You do! You got a Korok seed from one of the forest children! If you give me just one Korok seed, I'll make it so you can carry more things in return!" Link giggled at how happy Hetsu seemed, and agreed to give him a seed. "SHALAKA! So what do you want to be able to carry more of? I can allow you to carry more hand weapons, more bows, or more shields." So far, the biggest problem he had was running out of places to hang his weapons on, so he asked for that one.

"OH, YEAH!" Hetsu cheered, then he began singing and dancing. "~Shaky sha-kah! Dah-na-na-na-naaaaaaaa!~" As his dance finished, a jet of red sparks shot out of the maracas. "You can now carry more weapons. Shalaka!" Hetsu said happily. "I still smell more Korok seeds on you. Want me to help you again?" Link certainly didn't feel any different, though he supposed the next time he tried to pick up a weapon he would see if Hetsu had told the truth. In the meantime, this seemed a good way to offload the Korok seeds he had gathered. No one else would buy them, and he was more than a little tired of the smell. He asked this time to be able to carry more bows, and the dance ended with a shower of green sparks instead. At least it had been different. Maybe there was something to this after all.

"Oh! Look at the time!" Hetsu cried out suddenly. "I need to get back before Grandpa yells at me. Shoko..." Grandpa? Meaning there was another like Hetsu... possibly even larger? "Sorry, I have to go. But I still need Korok seeds, so bring some to Korok Forest if you find any!" Korok Forest? But before he could ask, Hetsu was already off, running as fast as his stubby little wooden legs could go. Link stifled another chuckle. _What a character, huh Burya? What do you think? Worth it to try and find Korok Forest later?_ The horse snorted at him. He laughed this time, and climbed up. _Well then, let's see if we can't find Kakariko, shall we?_


	11. Impa's Tale

The rest of the journey was relatively unadventurous, and within a day they found themselves approaching a set of wooden gates decorated with red and blue banners and bearing the Sheikah eye. He paused as he entered the town, awestruck. It was as bustling as a small village could be, people everywhere, children running, playing, laughing. He could smell food cooking, hear gossiping, and the whole town just felt... alive. After some time, he slid down from Burya's back and walked her down the main road. He paused at a fire, where an older woman sat at an awkward angle. "Traveler! I'm sorry, but I seem to have twisted my ankle..." He reached out a hand, gently helping her to her feet. "Hmmm, let's see here... " She carefully stretched, testing her steadiness, before she turned back to him.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like that," she began only to stop a moment later. "Say, traveler... Where did you get that... object hanging from your waist?" He looked down confused. Did she mean the Sheikah Slate? He had barely started on an explanation when she interrupted him. "Yes. I see... That Sheikah Slate is a symbol. It means you are the hero of legend. Though there are few who know of such legends anymore... But we Sheikah have been waiting for you for a very long time. Please... before all else, I must insist that you meet with our leader, Lady Impa." Impa. That was the name the King had told him to seek out. So she still lived. _Where is she?_ he asked.

The old woman turned and pointed to a large home, framed by several waterfalls. "Lady Impa's house is below Lantern Falls - just over there. In any case... It was a real honor to meet you. Heh, I suppose you're used to that, having lived as long as you have." Link politely smiled, but he wondered exactly what she meant. Of course, she didn't know he had been asleep for the past 100 years. He also knew though, that she was right. As much as he wanted to explore everything the town had to offer, he should do as he had been asked. As he walked with the grey mare, he quickly became aware of silence that followed his wake, silence and stares. They whispered behind their hands, but fell silent as he walked past, staring in awe, treating him as if he was... well as if he was some kind of hero.

It was unnerving, and more than a little uncomfortable. Besides his fragmented memories, he had no idea what he had done. And he certainly didn't feel like a hero. He kept walking though, trying to ignore the unease, until he found himself in front of the stairs leading to Impa's home. The two men guarding the way, immediately blocked his path. "You there! Who are you?!" demanded the slimmer and older of the two. "How dare you trespass upon Lady Impa's abode!" He looked about ready to drive link off, when he too stopped short. "Hm? Is that... a Sheikah Slate? But that would mean you are... No, it's not possible. Can it be?" Both guards looked at each other, and in silent agreement both relaxed their stance.

"Please forgive us for behaving so rudely," spoke the younger, heavier guard. "Of course we have heard the legends from Lady Impa herself. Please friend... Go ahead and step inside." The two stepped aside, allowing him access to the stairs. He climbed them slowly taking in the view of the house, the falls, and the village. At the top, he startled a young woman who was cleaning the floor.

"A man?!" she gasped aloud, and immediately hid her face in her hands, though Link couldn't help but notice that she occasionally peeked around them to look at him. It was during one of these moments, when she too, noticed the Sheikah Slate. "Huh? Is that-?! It's... a Sheikah Slate!" In her amazement, all pretense of hiding was thrown aside, for a moment. It wasn't long before she had buried her face in her hands again. "Could you be the hero my grandmother told me about? What was his name? Li... Lin... Ummm... Oh, it's not that I forgot... I'm just bad with speaking." Link couldn't help but feel compassion for her. He knew that struggle all to well. "As for me, my name is Pa... Paaa... Paaay... Oh! My name is Paya!"

She folded her hands and bowed her head, but Link was glad to see she wasn't hiding her face anymore. "Phew! I got it out... I know I should be able to say that easily, seeing as how it's my own name and all. I'm so... sorry." She took a deep breath. "Anyway, my grandmother's been awaiting your return ever since I was little. Plea... please hurry inside." She suddenly realized she was staring, and with her ears burning with embarrassment, she hid her face again. He turned away from her and pushed through the double doors leading inside the house. For a moment, he was struck by the thought that the seated figure was another of the monks, waiting for him. But then, she spoke.

"...So you're finally awake. It has been quite a long time... Link. I am much older now, but... you remember me, don't you?" His face must have showed his lack of recognition, for her voice grew concerned. "What is the matter? You are looking at me as though I am a stranger to you. Those eyes... They lack the light of familiarity. It is I, courageous one. Impa." She leaned forward, hoping against hope. "Surely you must as least remember the name Impa?" He tried, scouring the fragment memories, looking for some shred of remembrance. He even scanned the room, hoping something there might spark anything. But there was nothing, and his face fell with shame.

"I see... So you have lost your memory." She leaned back on the stack of cushions she rested upon. "Well, it matters not. In fact, that may actually be a blessing in disguise for the time being. Dearest Link... Please come a bit closer." He did as she asked. He felt no threat from this woman, and he hoped that she, like the King, might be able to offer some insight into his forgotten past. The room was open, and mostly empty. Neat orderly rows of small cushions before the old woman made him think of students sitting before a teacher, though he knew not what lessons one might learn here. She bowed her head as he approached.

"A hundred years ago... Yes... A hundred years ago, the kingdom of Hyrule was destroyed. After you fell, Princess Zelda's final wish was to place you in a sacred slumber. And then... all alone... Alone she went to face Ganon." The memory was painful, Link could tell. The way she would only glance to meet his eyes, and when she spoke of Zelda, her eyes closed in pain. "Before Princess Zelda went to nobly meet her fate... she entrusted me with some words she wished to say to you. I have been waiting 100 years to deliver the princess' message." Impa finally looked up at this, and Link made sure his attention was focused on her. The woman leaned forward, to show the urgency she felt.

"However! These words, which the princess risked her life to leave you... Well, if you are to hear them... You must be prepared to risk your life as well." She then leaned back, her eyes narrowed. "But I am afraid that burden may be too much to bear while you are still without your memories. I leave the choice to you. When you feel you are ready to receive the princess message, return to me." Link knew she meant well. Lesser men would no doubt be quailing for what they must face. He himself felt some tremors of fear for it. But he also knew he could not back down. The King, Zelda, and now Impa were counting on him. Who knew how many others? He could not let them down.

"The words that the princess risked her life to impart to you... I cannot pass them on to someone who lacks conviction. Are you prepared to risk your life for the greater good?" She stared at Link, who met her eyes with a hard stare of his own. _I am._ She laughed and slapped her thigh, and suddenly he felt like he had passed some sort of test. "Not a memory to your name, yet you are as intent as ever to charge forward with only courage and justice on your side. You have not changed a bit. Once a hero, always a hero." Her expression held pride as well as relief. "Very well. Since you have lost your memory, I will recount for you all that has happened..."

"The history of the royal family of Hyrule is also the history of Calamity Ganon, a primal evil that has endured over the ages. This evil has been turned back time and time again by a warrior wielding the soul of a hero, a princess who carries the blood of the Goddess. With the passage of time, each conflict with Ganon faded into legend. So listen closely as I tell you of this "legend" that occured 10,000 years ago. Hyrule was then blossoming as a highly advanced civilization. Even the most powerful monsters posed little threat to the denizens of the realm. The people thought it wise to utilize their technological prowess to ensure the safety of the land, should Calamity Ganon ever return."

"They constructed four mechanical wonders that came to be know as the Divine Beasts. They also beat a legion of autonomous weapons called Guardians. The Divine Beasts were piloted by four individuals of exceptional skill from across the land. And thus, the plan to neutralize Ganon was forged. Upon Ganon's inevitable return to Hyrule, the princess and the hero fought alongside these four Champions against this ancient evil. The Guardians were tasked with protecting the hero as the Divine Beasts unleashed a furious attack upon their terrible foe. And when the hero wielding the sword that seals the darkness delivered his final blow... The princess used her sacred power to seal away Calamity Ganon."

"A hundred years ago... in preparation for the foretold revival of Ganon, we strove to follow the lead of our ancestors of 10,000 years prior. But... in the end... Despite our best efforts and canreful planning, we underestimated his power. In order to avoid ever making that grave mistake again, the princess left you these words... 'Free the four Divine Beasts.' That is what she said." Link had heard the Divine Beast spoken of many times, but he still did not quite know what they were. The confusion in his face must have been apparent, for Impa continued. "The four Divine Beasts are the ancient Sheikah weapons wielded by the four Champions who Ganon defeated."

"The Divine Beast Vah Rudania, controlled by Daruk of the Gorons. The Divine Beast Vah Medoh, controlled by Revali of the Rito. The Divine Beast Vah Ruta, controlled by Mipha of the Zora. And the Divine Beast Vah Naboris, controlled by Urbosa of the Gerudo. It would be extremely ill-advised to face Ganon without the power of the Divine Beasts to help you... You must infiltrate the Divine Beasts that were stolen away by Ganon 100 years ago and bring them back to our side. More information about these Divine Beasts can be found by locating the four races scattered across Hyrule." Impa took the slate from him and added four points to the map. "The Sheikah Slate will guide you on your way. You must go where it tells you and meet with each leader there."

She paused, looking down at it, then back up to Link. "...It seems to me that you Sheikah Slate is not yet complete. The device Princess Zelda left you is your guide and also your memory. Now, let's see... Someone at the research lab in Hateno Village might be able to help you..." Link remembered hearing about Hateno from Rensa. It looked like he would be headed there sooner than he thought. Impa added another marker to his map. "The location shining on the eastern edge is Hateno Village. It is a small village... One of the very few places that avoided suffering significant damage during the Great Calamity. You are Princess Zelda's only hope... and Hyrule's, as well... You cannot turn back now. Follow your heart and seize your destiny!"


	12. Exploring Kakariko

Link was thoughtful after listening to Impa's words. There had been a lot of information relayed to him, and it was only just sinking in how large of a task had been placed upon him. He didn't feel fear, just an overwhelming sense of responsibility. It was a heavy burden to bear. He spent the rest of the night meditating, in order to better decide how he was going to go about his quest. The next morning, he came across Paya again as she was tending to the chores of keeping her grandmother's home clean. When he spoke t her, she seemed first surprised, then concerned. "M-Master Link! Is anything the matter? Anything at all? Can I help you in any way?!" She seemed so worried, he found himself with the urge to calm her as he would a frightened animal, but since that might not be the nest of plans, he instead asked her about the village, hoping it might make her less nervous to speak with him.

"We Sheikah have long served the royal family of Hyrule in secret. During the Great Calamity of 100 years ago... the royal family was destroyed, and the members of our tribe scattered. Sadly, there were some who swore allegiance to Ganon at that time. They joined together as the Yiga Clan, seeking out all who opposed Ganon... cutting them down, one after another. Master Link, now that you are awake, you are surely the most formidable opponent standing against them! No doubt they will come for you, employing whatever underhanded methods they can devise." This Yiga Clan explained why the Sheikah remained scattered and in hiding. He would have to be cautious of strangers, if the Yiga indeed was not above deception, anyone he met could possibly be among them.

Paya seemed to have realized she has added yet another worry onto Link, for she continued, "Oh, but of course, if there's anything I can do to help you, all you have to do is ask!"

Impa spoke up then, "The Great Fairy Cotera... Only a few remain who know this, but this village was built under her watchful eye. The mysterious power of Cotera is that of sacred protection... I suggest you seek her out."

Paya nodded, "The Great Fairy resides behind the shrine that overlooks this village. That is where you should seek her. You can put your trust in the Great Fairy. I can't think of any reason she wouldn't be happy to help you, Master Link. Please don't hesitate to let me know if I can ever be of service! G-good luck..." Link politely thanked her, bowed respectfully to Impa, and slowly made his way out of the home and back into the village proper. He had many things to think of, but right now he was finding himself distracted once again by the size, and hustle and bustle of a thriving village. He had no idea where on earth to begin his explorations but decided the first thing he wished to do was to check on Burya.

The mare had been taken into the stable of one of the families who lived here, who had adamantly refused any payment for keeping and feeding her overnight. Rather than argue, Link instead took it upon himself to clean the stables, to feed and water all the animals, and give every single one of them a look over and a treat. Assured that his horse was well, he murmured to her that she would have the day off today, as he planned to explore the town. She whickered gently to him, and he left her with an apple. With no real plan in mind, he decided to start at the entrance to the town, and work his way around the village.

As he returned to the village gates, he became aware of an incessant beeping from his slate. He held it up, trying to discover the source. He didn't notice an error messages or alerts, though the Sheikah Sensor seemed to be blinking more than usual. He was reminded then that the sensor could be used to locate shrines, and that Paya had told him there was a shrine overlooking the village. It seemed as good a time as any to test it out. Holding up the slate, he slowly turned, listening as the beeping grew more insistent, then gradually weaker. Orienting himself to follow the direction of the loudest signal, he began walking.

He soon discovered that it was not an exact science, following the signal. It didn't direct him along roads, only the vague direction he needed to go. He had to make his way there, either by well laid path or blazing his own way. A small time of trial and error, and he found himself following a narrow, almost hidden path, just north of the entrance. After a bit of climbing, he found himself outside of another shrine. He activated it, and entered it, expecting a similar trial to all the others he had found so far. Once again, he was to be surprised.

**"To you who set foot in this shrine... I am Ta'loh Naeg. I share with you my knowledge, that it may please Hylia."**

Not a trial then? But... the completely empty room, with a large open pit in the center, felt very ominous. Link decided to make sure he was prepared, then approached the pit. He had only taken a few steps when the floor shuddered, and the sound of machinery arose from the opening. He watched as one of the Guardians slowly rose from below. This one was larger than the small ones he had encountered in the shrines previously, but very much smaller than the larger ones he had encountered on the surface. This one also appeared to be damaged, as it seemed to be missing two arms, the remnants of them sparking and rattling as it tried to move them. The remaining arm held a blue glowing sword.

**"Use a side hop to avoid enemy attacks. This will create an opening that you can use to strike back."**

He stared at the Guardian. Well, if he was going to be facing these things regularly, he would be best to learn how to defeat it here, against one, rather than out there, against hundreds. And he was glad he practiced. Hopping out of the way of that sword coming down proved much harder than he thought. His shield took the brunt of the blows each time, but he could tell it was going to give way eventually. As if sensing his worry, a large crack appeared in it as he missed his timing yet again. _Hylia help me_ he thought desperately. Suddenly, a sense of calm came over him. As the sword came down he hopped to the side. He felt like everything around him slowed as he dodged, then rushed in, attacking with a flurry of strikes until the Guardian's sword touched the ground where he had been but a moment before. When it did, time returned to normal, and he once again faced the Guardian.

**"Do a backflip to avoid enemy attacks and create an opening to strike back."**

Having practiced the timing with the side hop, he found the backflip only a little harder. But once again, he felt the sense of calm when he found his timing, and again, time slowed as he rushed in with his blade flying.

**"You can repel an attack if you parry with your shield at just the right time. Strike back in the opening you create."**

That was useful information to know. The timing was the hardest part, but when he got it right he could feel the power as the Guardian's blow recoiled on it, leaving it momentarily stunned.

**"Build up your power, and then release it to unleash a charged attack. Catch your enemies in this motion to damage them."**

This one was harder, as it meant facing the Guardian without his shield raised. He once again asked the Goddess for her help, and felt power coursing down his arm into the blade. He swore he heard it sing, and released his pose with a whirling crash. To his surprise, the Guardian exploded on impact, leaving behind its sword, a few scattered parts to scavenge, and a useless smoking hulk of melted, twisted metal.

**"You have done well to learn these crucial skills. Now, proceed."**

At the far end of the room, a barred door opened, allowing him access to the final room, where the monk rested.

**"Your resourcefulness in overcoming this trial speaks to promise of a hero... In the name of the Goddess Hylia, I bestow upon you this Spirit Orb. May the Goddess smile upon you."**

He bowed his head as the light transported him out of the shrine. _Thank you..._

Having completed the shrine, he resumed his exploration of the village. He could quickly see why it was a thriving town. Everyone had some kind of crop or tree growing in their yard, no doubt providing more than enough food for the entire village. Plum and apple trees, pumpkin and carrot fields, even a pen of cuccoos. Everyone he spoke to was friendly and welcoming, once they knew he intended no ill will towards anyone in the village. Many of them even gave him gifts when they were done speaking, and Link always made sure he was respectful to everyone. A group of children invited him to play, and he found himself playing tag and kitchen with them until nightfall. They all ran around collecting fireflies until the little one were falling asleep as they ran. He carried them to their respectful homes, apologizing profusely to the parents for keeping them late, only to have many of the parents apologizing to him for their children having kept him from his duties.

He spent the night in the inn, not wanting to impose on any of the families he had met just the night before. He spoke with the family that had housed Burya, once again tending their stables chores since they would not accept money from him. The two of them visited the shops in town, selling materials, gathering supplies, and picking up some extra clothes. Settled once more, he headed back to the village entrance. Remembering Impa and Paya's words, he detoured back to the shrine, heading beyond it, higher up the mountain and into a small forested area. He walked slowly, leading Burya by the reins. Birds and squirrels chittered at them, and he swore he saw a glowing blue rabbit-like creature in the dark, but it raced away before he could catch more than a glimpse of it.

In the thickest part of the forest, he came upon when looked like a brightly colored flower bud. It was surrounded by flowers and plants, and even a few dancing pink fairies. The children had said if you were near death and had a fairy friend, they would bring you back, but they had to leave when they did. He found no reason to disbelieve fairy tales because they cam from children, so he didn't mind trying to catch a few of them. He left Burya to graze, and walked around the edge of the bud, collecting flowers, and fairies when he could catch them. The giggled and danced, but when they were caught they stayed nearby. He knelt next to one tree in particular, staring at the white and blue star shaped flowers growing there. _Silent Princess_ he thought, to himself as he brought one to his nose. For some reason he couldn't explain, a tear ran down his face, splashing the petals. He shook his head, wiped away another tear, and stuffed the flower in his bag. He couldn't lose him emotions. Not now.

Finally, he approached the bud itself. He thought he heard a sound from within, and leaned closely to listen. As if sensing his presence, a voice whispered to him, "Boy... Sweet boy... Please... Listen to mu story..." He pressed closer to the flower bud, trying to hear better. "I am the Great Fairy Cotera... This place was once a beautiful spring... But as time passed, fewer and fewer travelers arrived to offer me rupees. As a result, my power has abandoned me. I'm nearly powerless now, so I beg your help. I need rupees to become whole again. All I need is 100 rupees... Once my power has been restored, I can help you do great things, boy."

Cotera's words made sense. The spirits needed offerings to remain strong, and here, in this beautiful but isolated forest, it would make sense that few passed this way. He did still have some money left over from trading as well. Surely it could hurt nothing. The bud split open and a jeweled hand reached out from it. "Now... If you have rupees, hand them over to me. Quickly! In order for me to regain my power, I need 100 rupees." Link reached into his purse and pulled out a couple of red and blue rupees. He laid them in the outstretched hand and stepped back as the money was snatched away back into the bud. "Thank you. You are too kind."

The bud started pulsating, and suddenly split completely open, revealing a glowing pool. A faint cloud of purple smoke hung over the pool, and as Link watched, the surface rippled, and a giant woman emerged from it. She was strangely ethereal, shimmering jewelry and clothing that was reminiscent of the fairies that floated around the spring. "HAHHHHH... Oh what a feeling! That first breath of fresh air after an eternity of decay... It's just so intoxicating! Thanks to you, I've been returned to my former glory. And as they say - one good turn deserves another. I can help you, boy. Allow me to enhance your clothing. It's the least I can do, but I will need the necessary materials... With the power available to me... I should be able to enhance your clothing a little bit."

Eager to have better clothes, Link carefully held up each piece of clothing he had, as Cotera told him what she would need to work the magic to make it better. He was happy to learn that his collecting of practically everything now served a purpose; he had all the needed materials to upgrade every single piece of clothing he had, save for a few. "There are some pieces of clothing I can't enhance, even with my powers," she said sadly. But, with Link having made his decisions, she brightened. "All right, let me do my thing!" He laid out the clothes and placed the materials into Cotera's waiting hands. She held them together, then blew a shimmering cloud over the clothes. "All finished! Just a bit stronger now... Oh... If I'm able to enhance an entire set of clothes twice, I might be able to work bonus magic into it! But only if you wear the matching set! To do that though, I will need you to seek out my sisters and restore their powers." With that, she dove back into the pool, leaving the surface as still as a mirror.

Sisters? If they also required rupees Link would need to be careful with spending what he earned. He filed away the thought for later. As they returned to the main part of the village, it began raining, first a gentle sprinkle, but before too long it was pouring down hard. Link was glad he had said his goodbyes to the villagers earlier, for they had all run for shelter. Although he too wanted to wait out the rain, he knew he had dallied long enough. It was time to head further out. Time to head for Hateno, on the eastern shore.


	13. Hateno Village

Link would have sworn that it had been raining for days. He was soaked through, his gear was soaked through, and poor Burya was beginning to resemble a pony made of mud rather than a real horse. He could only hope his weapons would survive. Rusted metal was a poor substitute for good, clean steel. It was raining so hard in fact that he missed the fork that would take him to Hateno, not realizing it until he ended up back at the Dueling Peaks Stable. Given that the rain had yet to let up, and he was cold, wet, and exhausted, he decided to say the hell with it, and rest for the night. The innkeeper seemed mildly put out about the dripping supplies on his floor, but he couldn't argue with currency. Link made sure Burya was clean and fed, and had plenty of warm hay before he spent the next couple of hours hanging his gear up, hoping it might dry out some before morning. Eventually, he passed out on the bed, not even bothering with the blankets.

Morning came drier, but heavy clouds still floated across the sky. Link grumbled as he went about his morning tasks. Having only gotten a few hours of sleep, despite the comfortable bed, did not for a happy Hylian make. Burya seemed happy though, and Link couldn't stay mad long with the grey mare dancing and hunting apple slices in his pockets. All of his gear had survived, and even most of his supplies, though some of the plants had been thoroughly wetted. He cooked what he could, trying to salvage as much as possible, but he did lose some of them. All in all though, it was not a great loss, and it encouraged him to invest a little bit in some waterproofing material being sold by one of the merchants.

He gave the horse a warm mash of mixed grains, scooping up some of it for himself as well. They both ate slowly, enjoying the warmth, the faint sweetness, and the nutty taste of the different grains. Meal finished, he packed up his gear and settled it on the horse's back. He was hoping to ride as much of this trip as possible, knowing it would be a long one, but he also knew the limits of his companion, and he wasn't going to push her too much. They set out north, heading to the fork he had missed the night before, and then turned east. The sun had mostly risen, but it was still low enough to catch his eyes. He did notice a large landmark, a tower. He slowed Burya and pulled out his slate, marking it for exploration later, and urged her back into a canter.

Several hours passed, and they came across a large flat plain. Link stopped Burya, climbing down to take in the sight. Hundreds of Guardians, in various stages of decay lay scattered about the field. A great battle must have taken place here, or a terrible slaughter. He walked the mare through the silent field, alert to any of the mechanical soldiers that might still be functional, but all was silent. As they rounded a corner, he saw what the Guardians must have been here for. The high walls of a fort, heavily fortified, blocked passage beyond the field. It was here the majority of the Guardians had gathered, bunched up where they had tried to get through the walls, or go over them.

There was heavy damage to some of the walls, but he could see repairs had already started on them, and the only entrance was a guarded gate. He passed through with a nod to the guards, who eyed him warily but allowed him passage. He suspected their primary purpose was to guard against enemies of a more monstrous, or mechanical, appearance. He stopped just past the gate to do some exploring and allow Burya to rest and graze. This side of the wall was even more fortified, almost to the point of a second wall. The scaffoldings also looked like they could be used as lookouts, and most likely were, or at least, had been at one point. But there was no sign any of the Guardians had managed to breach the wall. The people of Hateno had remained safe because of this fort.

After a good rest, he mounted up again, continuing on the road. The landscape here was different, fewer hills and more cliffs, including a large cathedral like cavern on the far side of the river, with columns and pillars of stone holding up an arched roof. There were also scattered nooks and crannies along the cliff faces, no doubt hiding surprises of some kind, though at the moment Link was more concerned with finding Hateno Village and the tower than hunting treasure. The path to the tower was easily missable, a narrow bridge that was barely wide enough for the horse to walk across. Once the bridge was traversed, the path got wider, but it was full of enemies, bokoblins, both the red and the blue variety, the taller, bulkier version of the bokoblins, called moblins, and lots of chuchus, the jelly like monster.

He was grateful for the mare's speed and agility. They made their way swiftly past the monsters, all the way to the tower itself... or almost all the way. The base of the tower was surrounded by sharp thorny vines, and the vines snaked their way up the towers sides as well. Link new better than to try and go through those thorns, but he wasn't sure there would be a way around them, until he remembered the fire arrows he had picked up. Knocking his bow, he aimed carefully at a patch of the bramble. One well placed arrow, and it went up in flames, clearing a path to the tower. From there is was a matter of climbing as far as he could, then pausing to catch his breath, and burn through another patch of bramble.

Activating this tower filled in another portion of his map, much larger again than the one by the previous. He took a moment to scan his new map, placing a couple pins in areas that looked curious, and noting the high mountains that filled a good portion of the map. It would no doubt be cold, possibly even colder than Mount Hylia had been. He would need to make sure he was well prepared before venturing into them. He could also see the village of Hateno in the far distance, a blur of color against the green and grey landscape. Another day, and he should be there. Rather than risk the thorns, he jumped off the tower, gliding down to the ground below. He hopped on the horse's back, and took off. There were even more monsters out in the hills and mountains, and he and Burya had to run swiftly several times to keep from being overwhelmed. The narrow mountain paths didn't help, leaving them both easily ambushed.

By the end of the next day though, they had made it safely to Hateno, where the very first person they met threatened them with a pitchfork and a suspicious tone. "Who are you?! Be on your way, you... suspicious man!" Link knew the caution was for the safety of the town, and did his best to make sure he was as non-threatening as possible. It was no doubt this caution that had kept the village safe 100 years ago. _I'm a traveler,_ he gestured by way of explanation. "Hrm? You certainly do appear to be Hylian like the rest of us... Hylians are generally good folk, so... Sorry for getting all worked up... You're free to go. We're just a waypoint on your winding road, huh? Ah, the life of the traveler. Well, you can get most things you need at the general store, and the inn is just back there."

Link cheered up greatly at the thought of staying at the inn. Because of the number of monsters, he hadn't felt safe sleeping, though he had paused to give the horse a rest. He could really use a soft bed right now. Given the hour, he doubted the stores would be open anyway. He made his way into town, noting the various shops clustered around the central road. This town too was obviously thriving, much more the others, though that made sense given it had been so little affected by the disaster of the past. There were numerous fields of crops, assorted vegetables and grains it appeared, and he could hear the sound of livestock in the distance, cow, horse, goat, and sheep. What few people he saw eyed him warily, a vast difference from Kakariko, where they had treated him as the hero returned.

He found himself laughing quietly. He had so disliked the constant treatment in Kakariko, now he found himself vaguely wishing for it again. He found a stable that was still open and paid for Burya to be settled for the night, seeing to her feed and straw personally, to the stable owner's chagrin. Link tried explaining it was not personal, but he wasn't sure if the man understood his gestures. He hoped he would be able to make amends in the morning, when he was better rested. He then turned to the inn. Frustratingly, he had the same issues with them, though he suspected it was more his tiredness getting in the way than actual lack of understanding. He finally resorted to scribbling a message on a scrap of paper with a charcoal nib. The innkeeper nodded, gave him a price, and showed him to a room. Link yawned widely, but this time he managed to strip off his riding clothes and make his way under the blanket before he passed into unconsciousness.

When morning came, he felt much better. A good night's sleep, a bath, clean clothes, and a warm meal made such a difference. He made his apologies to both the innkeeper and the stablemaster, and set off to explore the town in daylight. He found the people to be a lot more welcoming of a stranger now, which he realized made a hell of a lot of sense. He also saw that the town also sported several windmills. They probably ground their own grains, which no doubt accounted for the wonderful bread he had had for breakfast. He visited several of the shops, selling off some excess materials, and picking up more supplies, as well as a suit of armor. If he was going to be fighting monsters, he could do with some extra protection.

He also spoke to several of the villagers, getting information about the surrounding area and the village itself. By then end of it all, he realized he'd spent another full day in Hateno, and he hadn't even made it up to the research lab yet. He had no problem spending another night in the inn, and Burya would no doubt appreciate another night's rest as well. The morning would come soon enough, and then, he would see about this research lab, and what they could teach him, or possibly, help him remember.


	14. The Ancient Research Lab

Day dawned bright and clear. The research lab was not actually in the town, he had discovered, but on a lonely hill overlooking the coast. The path was a long walk, so he decided to take Burya for the trip. Thankfully, since he planned to head there and back within the same day, he could travel light, taking only the bare essentials. The trip out of the village and towards the lab was pleasant. He passed the windmills and a few homes, and a large farm with many kinds of livestock. This was the kind of life he hoped the rest of Hyrule would one day be able to live, and he knew to do that, he would have to successfully defeat Ganon. What he would learn at the research lab would help him on that journey.

He didn't enter right away, choosing instead to look around. From here there was simply miles and miles of ocean as far as the eye could see. The horizon was nothing but water. Closer in, he could see the coastline as it wove in and out of the water, creating sheltered coves and cays, all of them begging to be explored. He also saw islands in the water, possibly close enough to get to... somehow. And glowing the mist, even a few shrines to explore. He couldn't wait to go and check them out, but for now, he had done enough exploring. He needed to tend to the reason he had come out this way.

The lab itself was generally nonthreatening in appearance, which was odd considering the way some of the townsfolk had described it. It looked like it might have once been an old windmill, or possibly a lighthouse, which made sense considering its location high above the sea. Probably the most out of place thing might have been the giant telescope on the lower roof, and even that made sense. The high hill would have made a great lookout point, especially armed with something that would allow them to see into the distance.

There was a strange device, just to the left of the door, what might have been an ancient furnace, but whatever flame had once burned there was long sense cold. He amused himself for a moment staring at the frog-like statue above the door. Someone had given it a parasol and a pair of large, pink, spiky glasses. Entering the lab was almost like entering another world. Every bit of space it seemed was covered with books and notes. Shelves lined the walls and papers lined the floor. Even the ceiling was hung with various contraptions. A few steps in and he saw a Sheikah pedestal to the left, but unlike the others, this one was dark and silent. He wondered if that had anything to do with the cold furnace outside.

An older man looked through books in the back of the room, and at a table in the center of the room stood a young woman... or was she a child? He couldn't quite tell for sure, though he found himself amused again, for she was wearing the same kind of glasses as the statue out front. He wondered if she had put them on it. She didn't seem to be working at the moment, so he approached her. "Good afternoon," she chirped happily. Link was suddenly reminded of the chirping voice of the pedestals. "This is the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab. Do you have some business with the director?" Link nodded politely. _That's right._ She gave him an oddly appraising look, before responding slowly. "The director is in the back." She pointed at the man going through the books. "A terribly busy person, that one. Please try to keep it brief."

He hadn't wanted to interrupt the man, but at the girl's bidding he approached. "Good afternoon. I imagine you've never seen so many books in one place. Pretty incredible, isn't it?" Link definitely thought so. It was hard to not get distracted by all the different titles lining the shelves. So much knowledge, so little time. "We've gathered all of Hyrule's known literature on ancient civilizations here. As for the actual number of books, well..." his voice trailed off, and suddenly, a look of excitement raced across his face. "...Hmm? Is that... That thing on your waist? Is that a Sheikah... There's no mistaking it. That's a real Sheikah Slate, isn't it?! I've never actually seen one in person! If you could just show me the runes on it, I'd be most appreciative."

Link shrugged and pulled the slate from his belt and going over the various magics he had collected. "Stasis... Ah. Magnesis... Yes, yes. The Remote Bomb and Cryonis... And what else? Let's see... So that's it for runes... But... Hmmm... Strange... It doesn't seem like you have the basic runes..." Link tipped his head in confusion, unconsciously mirroring the man he was speaking with. "I don't understand why they're missing. There must be some reason... Ah! Where are my manners? I nearly forgot to introduce myself!" He straightened up, offering a hand to Link in greeting. "My name is Symin. You are... Link, right?"

Link was taken aback for a moment. The Sheikah of Kakariko had recognized him easily enough, but here in Hateno it was as if no one knew who he was. _You know my name?_ he gestured carefully. "Lady Impa caught me up to speed. You see... we were told, 'A young man holding a Sheikah Slate will appear. And you must do all you can to help him. He will be the hope that awakens from the Slumber of Restoration. His name will be Link.' " Symin looked pleased with himself for remembering, but then a look of worry crossed his face. "Oh dear! I forgot to tell you something very important." He turned away and called across the room. "Director! Listen, Ms. Director! This is a REAL Sheikah Slate!"

Link felt confusion cross his face again, followed by annoyance. What game were they playing? _Director?_ Symin turned back to him. "Oh, that's right... I haven't introduced our director. Ms. Purah happens to be right over there... As the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab director, Ms. Purah is the world's foremost authority on ancient Hyrule culture." Link turned back to see the girl at the table giving them a cheeky grin.

"Check it!" she chirped.

"I have the utmost respect for Ms. Purah and all she's accomplished. I'm honored to be her assistant." At least Symin had the decency to look a touch embarrassed about the deception. "On that note, Link... You see, the director may look like a young girl, but... Well... maybe it's not my place to be telling you these things. You should talk to Ms. Purah herself." Link realized he really didn't want to talk to the chirpy girl, but unfortunately it seemed like he was going to have to do so. Drawing him patience close, he turned back and approached her again.

"Hey! Heeeey! Are you surprised?! The director of this laboratory is NOT Symin. It's ME! Snappity snap!" Link became worried that if he ground his teeth together any harder they would break. "Anywaaay. Linky! Do you remember any dreams from your time in the Slumber of Restoration? You don't look like you've changed a bit in the last 100 years, but SOMETHING must have happened in all that time!" He began wondering what it would take to politely excuse himself from this conversation. Maybe the knowledge he would get here wasn't worth the price... "Well, no matter! I'm just happy you're still in one piece." She finally paused on her own, as if she had only just gotten a good look at his expression.

"...Linky? What's with that look? You do still remember me, right?" Many thoughts ran through his mind in answer, but he chose the least rude. _I don't remember._ he signed. "Really?!" He had thought her chirp couldn't get any more high pitched. He had been wrong. "Well! I'm so shocked I don't know if I'll ever be able to recover from this!: Her tone changed then, from brightly chirpy, to sadly chirpy. "Even though, 100 years ago, I took you to the Shrine of Resurrection after Calamity Ganon fatally wounded you... Even though I was the one who put you safely into the Slumber of Restoration... Despite all that, you still don't remember me?"

Link didn't appreciate the guilt trip. He hadn't been the one to ask this girl to do all of that for him. He shrugged. _I don't remember._ Purah gave him a look, then pulled out a small notebook, scribbling in it as she muttered to herself. "Hmm... As expected. After 100 years in the Slumber of Restoration, subject... has... lost... all... memories. Noted!" She put away the notebook, then looked up into Link's face. "Oh, sooooorry... I have a bad habit of taking notes rather abruptly like that. It's a charming quirk, isn't it?" Charming... is not what he would use to describe it. "Anyhoo... Do you have any questions for me?" Hoping to get this over with quickly, Link went for bluntness. _Aren't you a child?_

"How very rude!" She tried to sound offended, but then she began muttering to herself again. "Hm, or perhaps it's not rude at all... I suppose that's actually a rather logical conclusion to jump to." She cleared her throat. "The truth is, I look this way because of a failed experiment. Well, I say 'failed,' but... in some ways it was a success. I documented the full affair in my diary upstairs. BUT! The whole thing is embarrassing, so I insist you refrain from reading it!" Link decided in that moment that wrong or not, he was going to read Purah's diary. "Anyway. Enough about that! Back to the topic at hand! Here you are, after 100 years! Here to defeat Calamity Ganon, who is growing in strength with every passing moment! And to rescue our beloved Princess Zelda! That is, if you've got the courage to try." If he had the courage to face this prattling brat he most definitely had the courage to face that monster.

"And to help the one true hero, I, the one and only Purah, will restore the basic functions missing from the Sheikah Slate! Aaaand what do you say to thaaaat?" His first thought was how much is it going to cost me. He squashed down that response though and simply gestured, _Yes, please!_ "I knew you'd say that!" she chirped, bouncing happily in the chair. "All right, then. First I need you to run an errand for me." Of course. "... What's with that look on your face? You didn't think I'd fix you Sheikah Slate for free did you?" He thought about it, but in this case honestly not only aligned better with his true thoughts, but also seemed the more polite answer. _I did not._

"Hmm. You're pretty considerate for a young person. But then... I suppose that's because you're actually over 100 years old!" She giggled, and he felt his teeth grinding again. "Let me explain what this errand entails. You know the unlit furnace on the wall just outside this laboratory?" He nodded. "Could you please bring the blue flame from the ancient furnace in town? Oh, and also use it to light our furnace?" That seemed a bit obvious; if he was going to bring the flame, it would probably be to light the furnace. She pointed at the dark pedestal before continuing, "This sweet little Guidance Stone will start working once you do that, allowing us to restore your missing runes!" Her face became distant for a moment and she muttered to herself again. "Huh... I wonder if young women these days still say things like 'sweet' and 'little.' Ah, well. I suppose it doesn't matter anyway."

"OK then." Her voice was bright as she focused once more on Link. "I'm counting on you for that blue flame!."


	15. Blue Flames

He sighed. And headed out of the lab. He had just mounted Burya again when he realized that Purah had missed one very important detail. She hadn't told him where the furnace was, and none of the villagers he had spoken to previous had mentioned it either. Sighing again, he climbed back down and went inside. "Hey! Can I help you?" Signing carefully, Link asked for more info about the ancient furnace. "You'll find the ancient furnace on the high ground behind Reede's house. As soon as you leave this laboratory, head left until you are at the cliff's edge. Then make use of your scope! You'll see a blue flame. That's the ancient furnace. Blue flame makes it sound fancy, but it's really just the same as a regular flame. If it gets wet, that's that. It'll help to light the village lanterns you'll see on your way back here and to avoid steep inclines."

He nodded. So other that the fact that ancient machinery ran on blue flames instead of regular flames, it would be like carrying a lit torch from one place to another. Shouldn't be a big deal, right? Only one thing might cause an issue... A crack of thunder resounded outside. Damnnit. Stepping outside he could see the dark clouds gathering. Shaking his head, he mounted up on Burya's back as the first drops began to fall, heavy and scattered, but quickly multiplying into a blurry curtain of rain. He couldn't see anything in this, so he headed back into town to wait it out. Several hours later, the rain finally tapered off, and he stepped outside. Night had fallen, but he supposed at the very least that would make it easier to find the glow of the fire.

Asking around while waiting for the rain to stop he had found out which home belonged to Reede. He started there, and a bit of exploration later he came across an odd formation of rocks with a blue glow surrounding it. He circled the stones, and came upon a brazier blazing with brilliant blue flame. A quick exploration of the area showed no enemies except some livestock and insects. He also realized another bonus of having explored the "long" way to get here. He knew the locations of every torch between the furnaces. He lit his torch, and began the long slow trip back to the lab, lighting all the torches in between.

Dawn had come and gone by the time he finished, bringing with it dark, ominous clouds. He was thankful they held off until he lit the brazier outside of the lab. The furnace warmed and began glowing shortly thereafter. A travel gate he hadn't even noticed at the lab's door began glowing. That would make things easier if he ever needed to get back here in a hurry, though he hoped he wouldn't have such a need, once this errand was over and done with. He entered the lab, and was quickly greeted with a "Good morning!" He approached Purah. "Linky, thank you so much! Now then, take a look over there! The Guidance Stone must be starting to react! There's nothing mysterious about it - this is pure science!"

"Heh... My sweet little Guidance Stone... you sure know how to make this old researcher's heart flutter!" Link did his best to not roll his eyes as she started muttering to herself. "Well then..." she exclaimed loudly. "Let's go ahead and restore those Sheikah Slate runes for you! Give me a nice SNAP! Go on, no time to be shy about it!" Link barely avoided rolling his eyes, and the 'snap' he gave was apparently not what she was hoping for. "Hmm... That was pretty weak. But that's OK." She hopped off the chair and skipped over to the stone. "Hokay then, Sheikah Slate repair... underway! Guidance Stone lock removed! Now... let's do this thing!"

He walked up to the pedestal, now glowing the familiar orange color, and inserted his slate.

Sheikah Slate authenticated. Camera, Hyrule Compendium, and album missing files confirmed. Starting repair.

Camera, compendium? He was curious now, and eager to see the new things his slate could do. He watched eagerly as a new run appeared, and then as the blank pages in a section of the slate called "album" slowly filled in with blank spots.

Camera rune added. Repair complete.

The slate was ejected, and Link reclaimed it. He was just opening up the album when his thoughts were interrupted. "Aaaand... it's done! So?!Is it all fixed up now?" He sighed and handed her the slate so Purah could take a look. "Hmmm, lessee here... Which one is it... Camera, Hyrule Compendium, album... Yep, looks good!" She gave him back the slate and looked up at him. "So I know this sudden, but hear me out. Take a picture of me with the Camera! Oh, and don't forget to lemme see it!" He ducked his head and focused on the slate to keep from staring at the brashness of this girl who wasn't a girl. Take a picture? He checked the new Camera rune and saw that it could render a visible image into a picture, save that picture to the album, and linked the album to the compendium. He hoped it would make more sense after he tested it out.

He activated the rune and held up the slate. A square box with a circle in the middle appeared on the viewing screen. He centered the circle on Purah and clicked. The slate blacked for a moment, then the image appeared on its surface, asking him if he wanted to save it, or delete it. He saved it and closed the rune, then opened up the album. There was the image of Purah. He chuckled to himself. Now he could save images for later, like memories he could show to other people. What a useful tool! But first...

He approached Purah again. "Hey! How's the picture taking going? A picture is an image that is a perfect likeness of its subject. All you need to create one is a Camera. Pictures of animals and objects will be automatically registered in the Hyrule Compendium. In other words, you should basically go and take pictures of anything and everything!" She winked at him, and Link realized with horror that she might actually be trying to FLIRT with him. "Did you get a cute pic of me with the Camera?" _I took one!_ he signed, hoping to get out of here as soon as he politely could. "Oooh, I can't wait to see it! Lemme see, lemme see!"

Link pulled up the image from the album and showed it to her. "Hm? My, who IS this beautiful young creature?" She eagerly took the slate from him and began thumbing though it again. After a few minutes, he cleared his throat expectantly. "... Huh? Oh, I guess that's my cue! Sorry, I kind of lost it there. It wasn't on purpose. Hmmm... Ah, it's not just a pretty girl in these images. Yes, there are also some old landscape photos stored in the album. I knew Princess Zelda had made frequent use of the Camera feature, but this..." She looked up eagerly. "Hey, Linky! It dawns on me that you were Princess Zelda's appointed knight, which means... there's a strong possibility that you accompanied her to all of the places where these pictures were taken."

A worried look crossed Link's face. He sensed another quest coming on. Purah however, must have mistaken the worry for something else. "Oh right. The 'lost memory' thing could prove troublesome. But don't lose hope! It just means these pictures could be the missing piece to help restore your lost memories! If my hunch is correct, I suggest you check in with Impa. She knows more about Princess Zelda than even I do!" Purah paused. "... Oh, yeah! There's just one more thing I need from you!" Of course... "You don't have to worry about this until after you see Impa, but I want you to bring me back some ancient materials! Bring them either to me or to Robbie at the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab. As if my joy weren't enough, if you bring us ancient materials, we'll give you something good as a reward."

Ancient materials? He wondered if she meant the scrap pieces and parts from the Guardians. He certainly had plenty of them, they didn't sell very well. "All right! Let's do this!" Well, he did have a supply of materials on hand, and he had to admit that he was curious what 'good things' Purah had in store, even if the thought was also vaguely terrifying. _Something good?_ "Aha! I'm glad you asked! If you bring me some ancient materials, I'll power up your runes! You'll need three ancient screws to power up your Sheikah Sensor, three ancient shafts to power up your Remote Bombs, and three ancient cores to power up Stasis. If we're on the same page, stop staring at me! Hurry up and bring me some ancient materials!"

He would need to come back later with his supplies. In the meantime, he was curious about one more thing. _And who is Robbie?_ he asked. "Robbie is my subordinate. There, I said it. I think he's still up on the edge of Akkala researching Guardians... Haven't seen him in 100 years, though. So who knows." Well, that was frustratingly unhelpful. He might as well have not asked at all. He was about to head back down into town, when he remembered Purah's diary. He shouldn't... but he wanted to. He climbed up to the top of the lighthouse and carefully looked around the room. He found the diary on a desk in one corner. He held it up, prepared to begin reading, and then placed it back down on the desk. Spite and annoyance was no reason to do this. It would make him no better than any of Ganon's creations.

He should get back to Impa and let her know his slate was repaired. He loaded his supplies onto Burya once again, and they set off for Kakariko.


	16. Blood and Betrayal

The ride back to Kakariko seemed to take less time than it had taken to get to Hateno. He wasn't sure if it was because a lot of the ride was downhill, or if he was just happy to get away from the laboratory. Either way, he soon found himself back in the village, who happily welcomed him, assisting with unloading Burya, and making sure he was absolutely positive he wanted to go straight to Impa. He assured them gently. Impa had asked him to perform a task, and he had done so. She would now know he had finished his work, and he would then be able to rest. The guards nodded to him as he passed, and Paya shyly smiled at him as he went to stand before Impa.

She seemed initially surprised, then smiled widely at him. "Huh... I heard Purah was giving you the runaround, but you seem just fine. Now then... Let me see." She reached out for the slate, and Link willingly handed it over. The difference between the two Sheikah women was astonishing, and despite his misgivings of previous about Impa, he was now grateful for her blunt honesty, rather than the flirtatiousness of Purah. Impa only looked at a couple of the pictures before she was satisfied. "Aha! This is, without a doubt, the Camera that Princess Zelda used 100 years ago." She handed the slate back to Link with a serious expression.

"... It could be that if you visit the locations within those pictures, you will be able to restore some of your lost memories. Come back here once you have tried going to at least on of those locations. There is something I wish to give you." Link nodded and withdrew. He was tired, having ridden most of the past couple of days without stopping. A rest, a meal, and a bath, though not necessarily in that order, were in store for him. A warm bath eased some of the weariness, enough to eat a meal made of only the finest foods the village grew, meat stuffed pumpkin, creamy carrot soup, and delicious baked apples with a hot, honey butter sauce. He ate until he was full, and had to politely decline more, as the villagers seemed intent on stuffing him until he burst. When he finally collapsed into one of the inns beds, he was content and exhausted.

His sleep though, was troubled. He dreamed of an eerie aura filling the village, black ash and glowing embers floating in the night sky. He remembered looking up, watching in horror as a crimson glow filled the horizon, the sky taking on a purple cast filled with evil red clouds. As he watched, the full moon rose over the edge of a hill, bloated and blood red, casting long dark shadows in the middle of the night. And Zelda's voice, horrified, came to him. **"... Link... Link... Be on your guard. Ganon's power grows... it rises to its peak under the hour of the blood moon. By its glow, the aimless spirits of monsters slain in the name of the light return to flesh. Link... please be careful."**

He woke with a start, the veil of the dream still clinging to him. The sky outside showed that dawn had only just broken, but there seemed an unusual amount of activity about for so early. Then he heard a set of angry voices. "Who did this? How could they?!" He was out of bed before he knew it, dressing quickly and racing out of the door. Cado and Dorian, Lady Impa's guards, were standing by her home, tense and on alert. He spoke with both guards and learned a valuable object had been stolen, somehow, despite the guards being on watch all night. Dorian also mentioned that Paya was extremely troubled, and asked if Link might go speak to her. He nodded and climbed to stairs to Impa's door.

Impa, stoic as always, was seated on her cushions, but Paya was sobbing on the floor, next to an empty altar. He approached Impa, who looked up before he could get her attention. "Paya has been like that ever since the Sheikah heirloom was stolen... To think that it would be taken, just like that. We would like your help, of course, but we understand you have an important mission to complete." Link shook his head. His mission was to save Hyrule, yes, but it was also to help the people of Hyrule. He turned and walked to Paya, kneeling by her side.

"Link..." she sobbed. "I swear I only took my eyes off of it for a second! What should I... What should I do? The Sheikah heirloom... The heirloom has been stolen! And just when I had finally discovered the heirloom's secret..." She dissolved into sobs again, and he reached out a hand to her shoulder, steadying her.

Impa's voice came from behind him, "The hero, as chosen by the Sheikah heirloom, will be gifted the blessing of antiquity. Paya thinks "The hero, as chosen by the Sheikah heirloom" is you, so she stayed up all night researching the heirloom. She came to the conclusion that "the blessing of antiquity" refers to one of those ancient shrines. And that the heirloom is the key that opens the shrine. And just before we were able to tell you this, the thing is stolen!"

Paya calmed herself, and spoke again, though her voice was still hitching. "I had been cleaning the heirloom regularly every day from morning to dusk. Someone must have stolen it during the deepest hour of the night. This place is off-limits to outsiders... And no one from the village would do such a thing!" Link's hand tightened briefly as her face changed and a thread of doubt wormed it's way into her voice. "Would they?" The doubt was quickly displaced though, worry and fear following it. "Someone with evil intent came into this sacred place. I'm glad Grandmother is safe, but I still feel so... violated." She wrapped her arms around herself protectively and began sobbing again.

"Link..." Impa spoke once again. "Paya is afraid that the thief may still be nearby. Would you please stay by her side today?" There was no hesitation from the young warrior; he nodded immediately. The rest of the day was spent near to her as she went about her daily tasks. He used the day to practice with his bow and blade, and to speak with the villagers himself. At times, she was overcome with her fear and sorrow, and he would offer a shoulder to cry on, or a comforting squeeze of her hand in his own. Eventually night fell, and he escorted her home.

"Master Link..." Paya spoke shyly. "Thank you for staying by my side for the whole day. I see now that crying and feeling scared won't help up get the heirloom back. I checked with Dorian and Cado, but they said they didn't see anyone other than the villagers around. I'll try again to remember all I can about the night the heirloom was stolen, but the thief may still be hiding nearby." Her eyes became worried and she reached for his hands. "I have a bad feeling. If you spot any suspicious movement at night, don't approach..." She released his hands slowly, and with an embarrassed blush turned away. He bid her goodnight, and left the home, sitting by the fire beside the village's Goddess statue.

His thoughts were troubled, for his own questioning had found the same thing, no one unusual had been seen in the village. Which meant that someone among the villagers, for whatever reason, was responsible. The idea disturbed him greatly, as he couldn't believe that anyone here would have a reason to do such a thing. He was so lost in his thoughts, he almost missed Dorian leaving his post at Impa's gate. Curious, he rose and began following behind him silently. Dorian muttered to himself as he walked, and Link felt a shard of ice lodge itself in his stomach the more he heard. "How could they?" the man said, pausing to be sure he wasn't being followed. "I must do something," another mutter as he climbed the hidden path that led up to the shrine and the fairy fountain.

He lost sight of the man for a moment when he rounded the corner that led up to the fairy's clearing. If not for a whispered, "Sure is quiet out here..." he might have lost him altogether. As it was, he almost did, before spying a faint trail off to the right he hadn't noticed before. It wasn't even a true path, just a bit of flat area that might even have been a game trail. He continued following Dorian all the way to a log bridge. He got a little too close here, and had to duck behind a scrub of bushes as the man called out. "What was that?!" He waited, Dorian scanning the area to be sure he wasn't followed before muttering, "Must be imagining things," and continuing across the bridge. He finally stopped when he entered a small clearing just beyond, pulling out his small Eightfold blade and calling out, "I know you're there! Show yourself!"

Link watched as a figure appeared in a puff of smoke and talisman shreds. A large man, dressed in black and red, wearing a mask with an upside down Sheikah symbol, the sign of the Yiga. "You don't have to shout," he drawled, his heavy katana-like Windblade glowing in the moonlight as he pointed it at Dorian. "I'm right here."

"So you're the ones who stole the heirloom!" Dorian continued to shout.

"Heh... Such anger. It seems this thing is truly special to the fools of this village." The drawling tone was deliberately antagonizing. Link recognized it immediately. The Yiga was trying to draw Dorian into a fight. But why?

Dorian seemed to not even notice what he was being drawn into. "Why would you steal it?"

The Yiga's voice grew cold, all evidence of the playful drawl now gone. "Don't play dumb, Dorian. You knew what you were getting yourself into when you decided to leave the organization. You forfeited your life the moment you left."

Link felt his blood grow even colder. Was this what Dorian had been afraid of? Was this what he had been hiding from his children, from Lady Impa? It seemed so, for he couldn't come up with more than a strangled "Hnng..." in response to the Yiga's words.

"You did well to tell us about the heirloom. Unfortunately, your usefulness has come to an end, as must you. But first..." He turned and cast a glance over his shoulder, right at Link. "It appears we have an audience!" Link was stunned into immobility, something that almost cost him his life. The Yiga brought his blade down and a burst of wind shot out of it. Link jumped out of the way just in time, but still felt a brush on his arm, followed by a stinging pain. He looked down to see a shallow cut, deep enough to draw blood. He realized in that moment this was a fight he might not win, and that thought steeled his resolve. He would not lose to the Yiga.


	17. Loyalties

The blademaster fought like a demon, and more than once Link was caught by the wind from the blade. He shattered his shield defending against a slash, and broke a sword parrying another. Thankfully, he had brought a second blade, but it was a close fight. In the end, Dorian struck the final blow, sliding in to catch a down slash on his shield and thrusting forward to bury his sword in the Yiga's heart. Link lay for a moment, gasping for breath, as Dorian bowed his head, mumbling something not even Link's highly sensitive hearing could catch. The Sheikah man turned to link, his sorrow honest and evident on his features. "I can't believe I was being followed. I'm sure you've figured it out, but all of this is my fault... There's no point in trying to hide it."

He looked away, embarrassed and contrite at the same time. "I am... a member of the Yiga Clan. Or I used to be, anyway. But then I met the most incredible woman who blessed me with two amazing children. And so I tried to change my ways. Tried to leave the clan. But the Yiga..." His teeth gritted with pain as he spat out the next words, "They took my wife's life as punishment." Link could tell this was hurting Dorian, but he also knew the man wanted to explain his actions, so he let him continue while doing what he was best at, listening. "I couldn't let them hurt my children, so I used my position as gatekeeper to gather information for the Yiga. I told them about you and the village in exchange for safety."

The guilt was replaced by a bitter acceptance. "But my grief over losing my wife consumed me, and I finally decided to cut ties with the Yiga completely! I decided I could protect my children from the Yiga. I wasn't afraid of them. But the Yiga are pure evil. They told me they would kill both Impa and Paya if I didn't play along!" Link nodded. The man had done things he was not proud of, but his reasoning had been in protection of his family, both blood, and honor. He felt no reason to judge him now. "Paya figured out that this heirloom is the key to opening an ancient shrine. We weren't able to make it work, but Paya thinks maybe you can. Paya... and all of us are devoted to helping you in your quest. Now, please restore this heirloom to it's pedestal."

Link picked up the sphere. It appeared to made of stone, but began glowing as he touched it. Ancient materials, Sheikah technology. He looked over his shoulder to where a glowing circle of the same material waited, an opening in its center that appeared to be made for the sphere he held. He carried it over and placed it in the opening. The pedestal glowed blue and the sphere vanished. With a rumble, the ground trembled, before a shrine rose farther back in the clearing, dirt and rocks shaking off of it's surface until it stood glowing in the dark.

"That shrine!" He turned back to see Dorian standing in awe. "So the heirloom WAS the key to opening the shrine. Incredible... Master Link, I... I'm very sorry for all of this. I know it's a selfish request, but do you think you could keep what really happened a secret? I truly don't deserve mercy, but I don't want my children, Koko and Cottla, to suffer anymore. I know it doesn't make up for what I've done, but I pledge to protect the village and my family from now on. No matter the cost." Link clasped the man's hand, and looked him in the eye. He would keep this secret for him, for his children. Dorian bowed his head, and returned back the way they had come. Link turned and entered the shrine expecting to find a trial, but instead was greeted with a different message.

**To you who sets foot in this shrine, by entering this place you have already proven your worth.**

As he stepped forward he saw only a treasure chest and just beyond, the altar of the monk. He collected the treasure, a powerful sword that was a fitting replacement for the one he had broken, and obtained the spirit orb from the monk. He stepped out of the shrine to see the sun just rising. A new day, a new beginning, for everyone. He made his way back into the village. He passed Dorian along the way, sitting under a tree and telling stories to his two little girls. Link smiled as he passed, hearing the man talk about a sword wielding hero who ended evil's plots. He might well have just been talking about himself.

Inside Impa's home, he spoke with both her and Paya. Paya was disappointed that the heirloom would not be returning, but overjoyed that it had helped Link on his path. Her smile was more than enough reward. Having spent the better part of the day awake, he decided to take a short nap before pressing on. He ended up waking late in the afternoon to the sound of rain pattering against the roof. The sound was peaceful, and he almost fell asleep again, but he knew he had other things to do. When he had been talking to the villagers yesterday, he had spoken with a traveling painter who was visiting Kakariko. The older man asked him for a picture of he fairy's fountain. Link had mentioned it to Paya, who had been thrilled to hear that he had discovered it, and was more than happy to travel and see it with him.

While there, he had snapped a picture with the slate, and upon returning to the painter, showed it to him. Overjoyed, the man had told Link he wanted to reward him, but had little to offer but knowledge. Link thought and then pulled up the images on his slate that Impa had said might be tied to his memories. Pikango had looked over them, then pointed to one in particular. He indicated that it was close, no more than a day's ride or so, at the far end of the Lanayru Promenade. He even pointed out on the map where it might be. Link had thanked him heartily, filing the knowledge away for later. Now seemed like as good a time as any.

He loaded up Burya and set out past the fairy fountain to the forgotten lane beyond. The rain lightened as they left Kakariko, leaving behind a few puddles and a sheen of wetness that made everything shimmer in the fading light. They eventually came to a fork in the road, and after consulting his map once again, Link turned Burya to the right, towards the Lanayru West Gate. He was fascinated by the beauty of the promenade. It had obviously once been a bustling roadway and waterway, the gates and roads made of shining white stone, not worn and overgrown with greenery. As he rode, he saw evidence of sunken fountains, and other paths now lost to the river's rise.

As he rode, he suddenly became aware of the utter silence, broken only by the echoing sound of Burya's hooves on the stone. There had been birds when he had first entered, and insects, but now there was just eerie silence. He readied his sword, just in case. The first signs of trouble was the blaring of a horn followed by the screech of bokoblins. There were far to many for him to take on, not yet. He leaned forward and urged the blue mare into a hard gallop. He knew she wouldn't be able to keep it up for long, but for right now he needed to get past the swarm of enemies. They gave chase for a while, but eventually relented, allowing him to let the mare slow to breathe. He could see other enemies below in the water, the lizard like lizalfos liked to surprise their prey from below.

Further ahead, they came across a large moblin as well, and fled from him just as quickly. His heavy club would no doubt cause heavy injuries to both of them, and there was no way Link would be able to drag Burya out by himself. Finally, they arrived at the East Gate. From here, Link could see the icy peaks of Mount Lanayru, but more important, he felt a pang of deja vu, as if he had been here before. He dismounted and pulled out the slate, thumbing through the pictures until he came across the one of the Lanayru East Gate. He held it up, comparing it to the gate in front of him. Suddenly, a wash of emotion ran through him, and a wave of memories awakened.

_The vision was fuzzy, blurred at first, but eventually cleared. He was walking beside a young woman, dressed all in white. From the golden jewelry she wore, he guessed her to be Zelda. In the back of his mind, he knew the guess to be correct. They walked in silence, and sorrow. He wondered why. As they passed through the East Gate, they were greeted by a group of four strangers, a fish-like Zora female, a bird-like Rito male, a large, rocky Goron, and a tall, red-haired Gerudo. The strangers crowded around Zelda, leaving Link to stand aside, alone._

_The Goron was the first to speak, "Well? Don't keep us in suspense. How'd everything go up there on the mountain?" Link wasn't sure what had gone before, but the sorrow on Zelda's face as she closed her eyes and shook her head, and the crushed looks on the faces of the strangers showed that something that should have happened, did not._

_"So you didn't feel anything?" said the Rito as he stepped forward. Link didn't know why, but he felt a surge of anger at the bird man. "No power at all?"_

_Zelda folded her hands and looked away from them. "I'm sorry, no," she said, her voice soft and weary._

_The Gerudo stepped forward, glaring a bit at the Rito. Link felt a strong sense of respect for the woman, and her words to Zelda seemed to prove why. "Them let's move on. You've done all you could. Feeling sorry for yourself won't be of any help. After all, it's not like your last shot was up there on Mount Lanayru. Anything could finally spark the power to seal Ganon away. We just have to keep looking for that... thing."_

_Link nodded. The advice was sound, even if it was a desperate attempt to console Zelda, it was good thoughts. Zelda however was still sorrowful, her words barely able to be heard. "That's kind of you. Thank you."_

_The small Zora female darted her expression between Link and Zelda, then stepped closer, trying to catch the princess' eyes. "If I may..." Something in her voice made Zelda look up, and Link thought he saw a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "I thought you..." the Zora spoke hesitantly, as if she wanted to be sure she said the right thing. "Well, I'm not sure how to put this into words... I'm actually quite embarrassed to say it." She lowered her head, a faint blush across her face. "But I was thinking about what I do when I'm healing. You know, what usually goes through my mind..." She lifted her head, looking at Zelda, but Link noticed that her eyes were still occasionally darting to him. "It helps when I think - when I think about -"_

_A great rumbling interrupted her words. Several of them lost their footing, and when Zelda stumbled, Link reached out to steady her. The Rito leapt into the air with a sudden burst of wind, wheeling high in the sky overhead. They watched as he flapped there, beak agape in horror, as an unearthly roaring echoed down the canyon. "It's here," said the Gerudo, the ominous tone in her voice almost more blood chilling than the roar._

_"This is it, then..." said the Goron, clenching his fists._

_"Are you sure?" The Zora, fear in her voice as she reached for the Goron._

_"Positive," snarled the Rito angrily._

_"It's awake..." whispered Zelda, hands clasped in prayer. "Ganon!" She staggered back, but Link was there, supporting her still._

_The Goron turned to them, "Let's stop wasting time! We're gonna need everything we've got to take that thing down! Now Champions! To your Divine Beasts! Show that swirling swine who's boss! Link will need to meet Ganon head on when we attack! This needs to be a unified assault! Little guy! You get to Hyrule Castle." Link nodded, though he could help but notice the arrogant sound the Rito made when looking at him. The Goron didn't seem to notice though, and continued. "You can count on us for support. But it's up to you to pound Ganon into oblivion!"_

_The Gerudo stepped up to Zelda, Link standing aside to let her. "Come. We should go," she said as she took the princess by the shoulders. "We need to get you someplace safe."_

_Zelda straightened herself and pulled away. "No!" she said firmly. "I am not a child anymore! I may not be much use on the battlefield... But there must... There must be something I can do to help!"_

Link wanted to say something, do something, but around him the memory faded away, and was lost. He shook his head, momentarily dizzy, as his mind processed what he had seen, or rather, what he had remembered. It was like a part of him that had been missing was returned, and now he wanted more than anything to view the rest of the memories flagged by the slate. He also remembered Impa having told him to return when he recovered one of the memories, and he now made his way back to Kakariko.

Impa seemed to know right away that he had recovered a memory, for she immediately began speaking. "Now that you have seen some of the princess' memories, you must have started to remember certain things... Here. I will hand this over to you now, before I forget." She gave him a brilliant blue tunic, embroidered in white alone the edges, and at the chest with the shape of a sword. "This is something of yours that I have been keeping safe, by request of the princess. This clothing was specifically made for you when you became a Champion. Please handle it with care." He now recognized it from the memory. The same shade of blue the other champions had been wearing. The tie that had bound all of them together.

The Champion's Tunic.


	18. Naydra's Wisdom

The village hosted a small celebration that night. It seemed every single family did their best to offer their finest dishes, and Link found himself beset by an overwhelming array of flavors. Not wanting to miss any of them, he settled for a small taste of each, and still found himself stuffed. As the evening wore on, the children were sent off to bed, and some of the adult brought out bottles of plum wine and apple cider. Though he was offered a sample many times, he declined. He knew that when he left in the morning he would need a clear head. He felt better when he saw that he was not the only one to abstain, and that even those who did drink, did not do so to excess, despite the party atmosphere. He felt great respect for these people, who had suffered so much, lost so much, and yet could still celebrate simply and freely.

He listened to many stories that night, of the Gorons who lived among the lava flows of Death Mountain, of the Gerudo who lived in the windswept sands of the Wastes, of the Rito who lived high above the ground in Tabantha, and the Zora who lived in the rivers and lakes of Lanayru. He listened to tales of the great dragons, of Naydra, of Dinraal, of Farosh, and he heard of the legendary springs they guarded, Courage, Power, and Wisdom. And he heard of Hyrule itself, the vast kingdom that stretched from sea to sea, of plains and mountains, of snow and ice, of sand and storms. He hoped one day to explore the entirety of the lands, as soon as Ganon was defeated once and for all.

Morning came with the crowing of cuccos. Link dressed sleepily, not noticing he had pulled on the Champion's tunic until he felt it settle against him. A perfect fit still, despite all that had happened. He could see where someone had carefully repaired numerous tears and rips in the fabric. Burned places had been raveled and patched almost seamlessly. He must have been wearing it when he had.... died. More than ever, he wanted to remember what had happened, so many years ago, but as he had only shards of memory to go on, he knew it would be a quest all by itself. He finished tying his boots and stood. A quest indeed.

The memory he had recalled just the day before had given him idea of where he might start. He was going to go to the Spring of Wisdom, to the shrine guarded by the blue dragon Naydra. He knew the spring lay somewhere in the lands surrounding Hateno, specifically, the Madorna Mountains and the Lanayru Range. Now that he was no longer a stranger to Hateno, the people were much friendlier and forthcoming with information. One of the farmers he came across had many an interesting tale, if he could find an ear willing to listen long enough. Link settled in for a long conversation, and asked him if there was anything of interest in the area.

The farmer had first talked about the dye shop, where one could color ones clothes with the right supplies. Then he mentioned Mount Lanayru. "The Spring of Wisdom the princess of Hyrule used for purification is said to be somewhere on that mountain. A special fountain? The the princess had to endure hardship to visit? I bet the royal family left a treasure there! ...Well, at least maybe they could've. I would've if I was royal." He also said that the mountain was engulfed with ice, making it a hard place to visit. Well Link had endured the cold of Mount Hylia, surely he could handle Mount Lanayru? He knew better though, than to go unprepared.

He talked with the farmer longer, and learned of a certain mushroom, with the ability to keep you warm when cooked. After thoroughly exploring Retsam Forest, he found many of the sunshrooms. He spent some time cooking them and packing them for the trip, as well as preparing himself for the climb. Burya would be able to go with him, not through the ice and snow, nor climbing mountainous cliffs. He would only be able to bring what he himself could carry, making this a true test, for many reasons.

The climb was hard. He could see many easier paths, and could also see the enemies that filled them, all of them white as the snow, and no doubt just as deadly if underestimated. Instead, he chose to climb, and though the way was hard, he found it easier, free of monsters, save for a couple of annoying icy bats who were insistent on dive bombing his head. Finally, he made it up to the peak, surrounded by great crystals of clear ice, and a sense of something watching him. As he rounded a corner, he came across a pool of water. He knew right away this was the spring, for the water, though cool, was not frozen or freezing. A large statue of the Goddess rose from middle of it, and surrounding her, and crowning the mountain peak, was...

**You have done well to find your way to this spring.**

A familiar voice, the Goddess' voice. He bowed his head before the statue, now glowing in the gathering dark.

**You who have overcome numerous trials and obtained the Spirit Orbs... The one you see before you is an attendant to the Spring of Wisdom. This is Naydra, the blue spirit of Lanayru.**

The creature before him looked nothing like a dragon, nor would he use the color blue to describe it. The creature was monstrous, covered in purple, black, and red goo, with brightly glowing eyes staring at him from all over. He felt a great sense of evil rising from the creature.

**This servant of the Goddess has looked over the spirits of this land for ages, unknown to the world of man. However, the dreaded Malice unleashed by Calamity Ganon has possessed its body and reduced it to this state. You who have received the Spirit Orbs... Free Naydra from this Malice. Show what your power can achieve!**

Malice. That explained the goo. He had heard the Sheikah speak of the Malice of Ganon, describing it as pure evil, a creeping poison that corrupted everything it touched. Apparently even the great spirits of the land could be infected. Ganon's power was strong, but he would be stronger. The Malice had a weakness, the glowing eyes. He readied and arrow, and loosed it at one of the largest he saw. There was a sound like a scream, and he watched as a large patch of the Malice turned black and melted away. The dragon shuddered, rising on updraft to circle the spring. _Running away? Or testing me?_ he thought to himself. Either way, he needed to get higher.

Grateful he had thought to bring the paraglider, he ran into one of the updrafts and opened it. The power of the wind pulled him up, and he circled the peak, gaining more and more height until he found himself almost face to face with the dragon. He didn't even think. He hooked the glider to his belt and pulled out an arrow. Knocking it, he took aim. Around him, it seemed like time slowed to a crawl, as he loosed at another of the giant eyes. When he was certain he had hit it, he grabbed the glider once more, catching a draft just before he touched ground. With another scream, another patch of Malice melted away from the dragon, and it flew away down the mountain, trailing smoke and sparks.

He followed, at some point becoming aware that he wasn't growing tired despite the flight and the effort of shooting the dragon in midair. He wondered if Naydra was trying to help him in some way, keeping him aloft with magic. The thought encouraged him. The dragon was still there, fighting the Malice with him. He would free her from the poison, from the madness. Her next pause had her circling a large empty snowfield. He found this area harder to navigate, full of great and sudden updrafts that threw off his aim. He had to get very close to the eye before he launched an arrow into it, and for a moment, the recoil almost lost him the glider.

He managed to regain his balance, watching Naydra as she sailed off once again. He was pretty sure only one of the giant eyes was left. Once more shot, and the great dragon would be free. She was circling a thick forest this time, the sharp points of trees interspersed with icy rain. His vision was thrown off by the rain falling in his eyes and the cold was making his hands shake, along with the rest of him. He had to make this shot count, had to finish this. He had to free Naydra. He closed in on the last eye, right above Naydra's head. He grabbed and arrow and aimed. For a moment, he caught the dragon's face, and in her eyes he saw her pain. Then she closed her eyes, and he swore she leaned in to make his shot easier. The arrow flew true, and with one last, great cry, the Malice coating the dragon's body melted away, revealing scales of glowing white and blue.

He felt warmth around him, and for a moment, everything faded.

**Thanks to your efforts, Naydra, the spirit of Mount Lanayru, has been freed from the grips of an evil power.**

His eyes opened to the glowing face of the goddess statue. He was standing in the waters of the spring, the great dragon curled protectively around it, and him.

**But a single ceremony remains. Now... Loose your arrow through the body of Naydra to free the spirit of this region!**

He hesitated, but as he looked into the dragon's eyes she nodded. He raised his bow, and an arrow sang as it struck the shimmering scales. The dragon roared, not in pain, but triumph, as she rose once again into the sky, circling once, then flying away down the mountainside. As he watched, a glowing spark fell from her body, falling onto the ground at his feet. He picked it up, shivering as the coolness of it sunk into him. It was utterly smooth, glowing with its own inner light, and cold as ice.

**That is the spirit Naydra's scale. It fell when your arrow struck. It serves as proof of the courage you received from the one who served the spring since ancient times. Come... Offer a scale from the blue spirit Naydra to the Spring of Wisdom.**

He stepped forward until he was standing knee deep in the spring, and then he laid the icy scale in the water before the goddess statue. It shimmered, then glowed brightly, before disappearing. Behind the statue, an opening appeared with the rock face.

**Your path has shown itself. Now go forth.**

He stepped forward, and into the shrine beyond. Having received his blessing from the monk he returned to the Spring of Wisdom and offered some of the Spirit Orbs he had collected in exchange for greater strength. Newly blessed by the Goddess, he stood tall. It was time to go find more of his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank everyone who has left kudos on this work. It is such an amazing thing to me to check in and see how many people have read, and liked this tale. And thank you to those of you who are reading and continue to read. I hope you continue to enjoy.


	19. Chasing Memories

Burya was by now used to the path between Hateno and Kakariko, and she followed it without Link having to guide her. It allowed him time to be alone with his thoughts, if just for a while. She whickered at him when he turned her away from the fork leading to the Kakariko Bridge, heading instead towards the Dueling Peaks. He patted the horse's neck to comfort her. They weren't headed to the village this time, but out into the wilds. Something was calling to him, and he would follow that call, just as he had when Zelda had called out to him, and later when the Goddess had called to him. This time, the call was not so recognizable as a voice, but as a pull, one that led him away from the village he was starting to call home.

He slowed Burya after they passed through the canyon of the twin peaked mountain. Walking slowly, he guided her off the path, into a pass between the Hills of Baumer. His eyes seemed to see an old forgotten road, and soon, he stood on the edge of a rise, overlooking a sunken, abandoned village. _Deya..._ he thought. He dismounted from the blue mare, following the old road on foot as it circled the ruins. She followed behind him without his needing to hold her lead; the blue mare had not seen him so lost in thought before, and it worried her greatly. At the end of the road, he knelt before a small shrine, leaving an offering of prayer and apples. He rose and stood beneath the tree sheltering it. He remembered... the village had been bustling, and it had been raining...

_The rain was falling heavily, blurring his vision and making his arms heavy as he wielded the sword. It was longer and heavier than the Sheikah blades he was used to, and as such, the practice was wearing. But this was the sword he must use, the legendary sealing sword, and so he must practice, until he can use it without thought. Until it is second nature. Behind him, Zelda the princess sat next to the statues in the small shrine, the overhang just sheltering her from the storm. He had allowed himself to fall so completely into the repetitive motions, he had almost forgotten she as there, until she spoke up._

_"I doubt this will let up anytime soon..." Zelda said, looking up into the stormy clouds above. Although his attention was brought back to his surroundings, he didn't pause in his motions, continuing to swing, to parry, to strike. Her eyes drifted to the young swordsman, a faint flush coloring her face. "Your path seems to mirror your father's. You've dedicated yourself to becoming a knight, as well. Your commitment to the training necessary to fulfill your goal is really quite admirable."_

_His motions slowed, as if confused by her compliments. He turns his head to look at her, unspoken questions on his face, but she is already turning away, sorrow crossing her face. "I see now why you would be the chosen one." She refuses to look at him, and her next words are so soft, as if she intends them to be almost unheard. "What if... One day..." He stopped still, practice forgotten as he turned to face her in whole. "You realized that you just weren't meant to be a fighter. Yet the only thing people ever said... was that you were born into a family of the royal guard, and so no matter what you thought, you had to become a knight."_

_His eyes tried to meet hers, but she refused to look up. "If that was the only thing that you were ever told... I wonder, then... would you have chosen a different path?"_

He staggered, collapsing to his knees. Burya was soon next to him, whickering into his ear as he clenched his fists, fighting the pain that wracked his chest, wanting to send him into great heaving sobs that would do no good to anyone. Finally, he calmed, the pain fading with the memory, though it was now burned into his mind to be called at a moment's notice. His pain, and hers. He drew a shuddering breath, before rising and hugging the neck of the blue mare who stood patiently for him. _She didn't want to fight. But she had too, because of who she was. Maybe, after all this is over, she will be able to be who she wanted to be. Without being judged for it. What do you think, Burya?_

The mare snorted at him, recognizing her name, though little else. He laughed and patted her neck, then climbed back up. He had only just gotten over this memory, and already another called to him. He must steel himself. He could not afford weakness, not here, not now. Not ever.

The road he followed took him back to the Great Plateau, and then around its base. He stopped finally in the shadow of the Plateau tower, looking back towards the peaks. A small rise of earth, the smooth surface of the lake, the ruins within it... The memory was not as strong as it had been at Deya, but he was sure this was another place. He pulled out the slate and looked at it, scrolling the pictures until he came to the one he wanted. Holding it up, he framed the image of the sky, carefully matching the landmarks. Almost... almost... there...

_They were walking through the trees along the lake's edge. Zelda was holding up the slate and talking constantly to it, her pace fierce and driven. Link followed silently, ever the patient knight, ever a few steps just behind, and it seemed she was doing her best to ignore his presence. "From here, we'll make our way to Goron City. Then, we'll need to make some adjustments on that Divine Beast so Daruk can manage it as easily as possible. He's figured out how to get it to move... However, it's apparent that we still have much more to learn."_

_"But to think, that Divine Beast was actually built by people..." Her voice took on a note of wonder and awe. "That means we should be able to understand how it works and how to use it to our advantage. These Divine Beasts... so much we don't know... But if we want to turn back the Calamity Ganon, they're our best hope." She gradually slowed, her steps less sure, her motions thoughtful, until she stopped altogether. Link stopped as well, watching, waiting. "Tell me the truth..." she said, turning to catch a glimpse of him from over her shoulder. "How proficient are you right now, wielding that sword on your back? Legend says that an ancient voice resonates inside it." Her voice turned colder, almost condescending. "Can you hear it yet... hero?"_

He looked up from the slate as the threads of memory slipped away. Not sadness from this one, but anger. He tried to calm his thoughts; surely, there must be a reason for, for what had been said, for how it had been said. He looked up, over the surface of Lake Kolomo. What had happened, to make her... hate him so? He must figure out the rest of his memories. The answers to his question no doubt lay locked behind them. He sat at the rise for a long time thinking. Though he didn't want to admit it, he was hoping to feel the pull of another memory. He looked through the pictures in the slate, hoping he might recognize any of the locations, but there was nothing. Blank spots in his mind he needed to fill, and couldn't.

In the end, he decided to head south. Lake Hylia was that direction, as was Lake Floria. Rumor had it that the golden dragon, Farosh, visited both lakes, so there was a chance he might catch sight of her at one of them. Additionally, the Spring of Courage was rumored to lay in Faron Woods, between the two lakes. His quest would take him there eventually, and with no other ideas in mind, he would make them his next visit.


	20. Faron's Courage

Lake Hylia was beautiful in the setting sun. The water took on the colors of sky in a vast mirrored dusk that Link thought he might fall into. The great Bridge of Hylia had suffered much, but he guessed more from age than war, for the pillars were strong, just worn. Only a few were broken, or missing, close to areas of fast moving current that had no doubt washed the stone away over the years, until it collapsed. Luckily, the bridge remained passable, owing to the technology used in its construction. It would take more an a couple of missing pillars for this span to fall. Unfortunately, the bridge had become home to a pack of Lizalfos, who defended it fiercely, but eventually fell to his blows.

As he rode away from the lake, he saw a ripple in the water on the far side and stopped to watch. A green and gold head rose from the water, followed soon after by the entire form of Farosh, the golden dragon of Faron. He watched in awe as the dragon flew her way around the lake. It wasn't until he felt the hairs on the back of his neck crackling with static that he realized how dangerous it was to sit and watch. As the dragon passed overhead, he remembered that the shrine would require an offering. He pulled out his bow, sending an arrow flying at the dragon's side. A bright spark shot out, flying off the side of the bridge, about the same time a glittering blast of electricity struck him.

He remembered hearing Burya whinnying in pain, and how hard it was to breathe as around him everything turned into shades of black, and green, and gold. Finally, it passed. Gasping for breath, he lay on the cold stone watching the dragon fly away. Burya. Where did Burya go? He struggled to his feet, anxiously seeking out the horse who had accompanied him for so long. He found her, huddled against one of the bridge towers. She flinched as he brushed her flank, and he saw the long burn marks there. He closed his eyes, guilt racking him. As carefully as he could, he pulled off her saddle and packs. He found more burns under them; apparently the weapons and shield had carried the shock through the packs.

There was little he could do for her at the moment, not knowing what medicine would be safe for a horse. But he could at least make sure she didn't have to haul around his gear injured as she was. He almost forgot the scale he had shot off of Farosh in the worry. When he did remember, he found it far below, floating on the surface of the lake. He groaned, but made his way down, collecting it and then swimming back to shore. He turned the scale over and over in his hands, the glowing gold color and faint static charge it gave off reminding him of the great dragon. He would definitely not underestimate her again. The steep banks of the lake were at least an easy enough climb, and he was soon reunited with his horse.

He found a small stand of trees and fashioned a drag, piling his gear on it and pulling it himself. She nudged him, and he chuckled. _I can't pull you too, Burya. I'm sorry. But I can at least pull everything else._ She nudged him again, and laughing, the two of them began making their way into the Faron woods. He stopped to activate the Lake Tower as they passed it, and from its top he marked another tower, and what looked like it might be a few shrines, glowing in the distance. As they entered Faron proper, Link couldn't help but be amazed by the size of the trees. They were huge, reaching far up into the sky, and so big around. Faron was definitely and ancient forest, and certainly was home to many mysteries.

Oddly, Link kept hearing a strange, yet familiar music echoing through the trees. It grew louder as they walked, so he remained on the path rather than seeking it out. His curiosity was sated by the appearance of a large bird-like Rito, playing some kind of instrument. Link was surprised to recognize Kass, a Rito musician he had previously met outside of Kakariko. "A visitor? So deep in the forest? Ah, we meet again! I trust you're keeping well? I know a song about this place. Would you like to hear the ancient verse passed down in this region?" Link nodded eagerly. Kass' verses had previously helped him to uncover a hidden shrine. Mayhaps the Rito could do so again.

"Excellent! Without further ado... ~Where the forest dragon splays its jaws, A shrine sleeps with noble cause.~ The forest dragon? I've never seen a dragon in a forest around these parts. Though I suppose the forest from the song could be the Damel Forest, north of here. There's definitely a secret lying in wait - it's just a matter of tracking it down. May the light illuminate your path." The path through the Damel Woods was long, and full of Lizaflos, Bokoblins, and Moblins. Link found himself fighting constantly, but when he reached the ancient ruins at the end, he knew it was worth it. Shaped like a great dragon laying along the forest floor, its gaping jaws indeed held a secret. A glowing goddess statue, with a pool of still water. The Spring of Courage.

He approached the glowing shrine, bowing his head to the Goddess.

**... You have done well to find this spring. Offer Farosh's scale, received from the golden spirit, to the Spring of Courage. I, Goddess Hylia, will guide you.**

He turned away from the statue, and then took the golden scale from his pack. He held it a moment longer, feeling the static cracking through it, then laid it in the water. It shimmered, then glowed brightly, before disappearing. Behind the statue, an opening appeared with the rock face.

**Your path has shown itself. Now go forth.**

He entered the shrine and collected its treasure and Spirit Orb, then returned to where he had left Burya and the drag. Although the next tower was in sight, he passed by it. The climb looked to be far more involved than any of the towers he had seen so far, and he wanted to be sure Burya was safe before he attempted it. Luckily, he didn't have far to go before he spied the familiar shape of a stable in the distance. Both of their speeds picked up, and soon they were safely sheltered. Lightning burns were apparently fairly common in this area, as the stable had plenty of medicine to treat Burya. Assured she was in the best of care, he made sure their fees were settled, and took a rest himself.

He woke late in the night to the sound of crackling electricity and falling rain. He heard the murmuring of many people, and following it sleepily, he soon found himself standing with the stable's other visitors just inside the main dining area, watching as lightning raced across the stormy sky. The rain eventually let up, giving way to a hazy fog that covered everything with an eerie glow in the moonlight. He noticed that the spectators hadn't left, despite the storm ending, and before too long, he found out why. "There she is!" called out a child's voice, high pitched and excited. Everyone crowded outside, racing to the edge of Lake Floria. Link followed curiously, and turned to face the many falls as the others were doing. He saw then, the head of the golden dragon Farosh rising from the top of the tallest fall.

He watched her undulating form as she flew down between the falls and then into the Lake to fly under the bridge. Her passage was so close he could feel the static charged updrafts around him, and watch the crackling ball lightning that followed her flight. Several children were shrieking with laughter, tossing small pieces of scrap metal onto the bridge and watching them spark, until miniature lightning bolts struck them, causing gasps and applause. Link stood well back; one experience with Farosh's lightning had been more than enough for him. The dragon rose up again after crossing under the bridge, gliding silently up a fall and disappearing into it. The people began to quietly disperse after her disappearance, seeking the comfort of their beds or tents. Yawning, Link too made his way back to the inn.

Still, he kept replaying the sight of the dragon in flight, glowing in the foggy moonlight. He might regret the tiredness, but he would not regret being able to see that.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long silence from me, which I apologize for. I had a lot for this chapter written up, and an unfortunate reset of my computer lost it before I could post it here. Additionally, at the moment my copy of BotW is non functional (due to problems with the WiiU gamepad), so I'm not able to work on writing new chapters. In the meantime, I'm going to slowly be working on editing some of the earlier chapters, and possibly reworking some of it to better fit my idea of how the story would flow. So, have a short chapter for now, and hopefully some new content in the near future.

Morning came and went, and Link ignored it entirely. It wasn't until almost noon when he finally dragged himself out of bed. His first visit was to the stable. He looked over Burya's burns, glad to see them healing well, and patted her neck. _You get to take the day off, my friend,_ he gestured to her. _Climbing towers is impossible for horses, even ones as wonderful as you._ He then sat down to eat. Apparently most of the local delicacies involved frying fruit. He was a little hesitant, but decided that it couldn't be that different from butter baked apples. The fried bananas were amazing, but it was the fried durian that almost made his eyes pop out of his head. It was absolutely delicious, like a creamy custard almost. He couldn't believe it was just the fruit.

The locals laughed at him, but they were friendly, and told him about the variety of local fruits that were only available here in the Faron region. The bananas were easy to spot, with their bright yellow coloring and their tendency to grow in large clumps. The durian were a different story. They grew in trees, a large, green, spiky fruit... that smelled absolutely foul. Link couldn't believe that the horrid smelling thing was the same as the delicious pulp. This was also fairly common it seemed, for they let him watch as they prepared one. Lo and behold, it indeed produced the delicious, hearty fried fruit. He thanked the cooks for their time and patience, and set off in the direction of the tower.

The first step was to cross a narrow river that separated the main road from the rise the tower was on. It was an easy glide over, and with some exploring and climbing, he found himself within view of the tower's base. Here was where he found trouble. The tower had no ledges to rest on, not until close to the top. The base was also swarming with monsters, flocks of bat like keese, bokoblins, and an impish bouncing monster that crackled with electricity. He had heard of them, Wizrobes, monsters that attacked with magic, and could make themselves invisible. He was no way prepared for a fight like that. He was trying to figure out how he was going to accomplish his goal, when he noticed the cliff alongside the tower.

Its top was nearly level with the ledges at the top of the tower. He made his way over, and saw that the cliff would definitely be an easier climb, with plenty of handholds and places to catch his breath. He made his way to the top and found a small sheltered grove of durian trees, watched over by two very angry lizalfos. He quickly disposed of them, and then raided the trees for every ripe fruit they had. He would definitely need to stop by regularly to collect more. Having looted the area, he turned his attention to the tower. As he had seen, the nearest ledges were within easy gliding distance from the cliff he stood on. He could avoid the entire mob of enemies below.

A quick glide, a short climb, and in no time at all he was claiming the Faron region map. Checking his map, he was amazed to see that he had only filled in the southeast corner of the map, and further amazed to see just how much he still had left to explore. He decided to make it a new goal, to fill in every last corner of the map, and to explore as much of it as possible. No doubt there were uncountable hidden secrets in the world, just waiting to be discovered.

Back at the stables, he spent the rest of the evening talking to the other patrons, learning about their homes and what they were doing on their travels. He learned that several of them were from a nearby fishing village, Lurelin. The village was described as small, but bustling, with a thriving livelihood in rare fish and other seafood. Link made sure to add it to his list of places to visit, even if just to pick up some of those rare fish. A couple of the stable workers also told him about family and friends they had working at a stable to the south. They also mentioned that there were many wild horses roaming the plains in that area. Link filed that information away as well. Maybe he could find another horse to help Burya out. If nothing else, he could ride one of them and have the other carry his supplies.

When morning came, he was full of energy and eager to set out. Burya too seemed eager to be off, her burns almost totally healed. He decided to keep the drag for another few days, just to give her a break. Since Lurelin was closer, they headed there first. Despite the rain, there were many people out an about, and more than a few boats out on the water, hauling in nets from the ocean.


End file.
